Toshihiro: This tree has lived for one thousand years. How do you feel when you look up at its gigantic form towering over you? As you gaze at the Millennium Olive Tree, which has stood the test of time, can you imagine the water and sounds that have flowed through its trunk? Can you imagine the wind rustling through its leaves? Can you imagine the passage of time the tree has witnessed?

Tadakatsu: In order to fully understand the Millennium Olive Tree, you need to understand its story from its first planting to where it stands here today in Shodoshima. First, take a step back and observe the tree from a distance. What do you see? The tree itself is shaped like a heart, a symbol of all life, as well as the shape of our company logo. Now let's take a look at the trunk of the tree. Its width alone is a testament to the fact that it has been around for 1,000 years. It's surprisingly small, in my opinion, compared to the cedar trees that stand on the grounds of Shinto shrines. However, contrary to appearances, the annual rings within the tree are very tight, and the tree itself is dense and heavy.

Toshihiro: It’s ridiculously heavy. You may have already heard, but this tree came from Andalusia, Spain, some 10,000 kilometers from here. This journey took over a month by sea.

Tadakatsu: I’ll never forget the day it arrived. It was March 12th, 2011.

Toshihiro: The day after the Great East Japan Earthquake. In the middle of that chaos, this tree was safely delivered to Shodoshima and we planted it on the best vantage point on the island. Then on March 15th, or Olive Day, we held a solemn ritual and made a silent prayer to “peace and prosperity” during the tree-planting ceremony.

Tadakatsu: Why did you decide to bring the Millennium Olive Tree to Shodoshima in the first place?

Toshihiro: I wanted to provide a symbol for the future. But really it started with an experience I will never forget. It was when I went to Italy to study olives. There was a 300-year-old olive grove that spread out before me like an ocean, and I remember being so moved and overjoyed at that moment. I wasn’t just overwhelmed by the sheer power of this olive grove that survived many years more than we humans live, but also by the blessings of Mother Nature that continue to transcend human knowledge. The people of that area have continued to nurture the land for generations. I was so moved by those olives that have continued to thrive through that relay of life. We hope that in the same way that those trees have been passed down, our trees will continue to be passed along for another thousand years. If these trees survive that long, this village will also survive. A bright future where the people and the olives continue to exist together in an abundant and fruitful village – this is the future I envisioned. In order to preserve that feeling, I wanted to find a way to symbolize it in this tree and share it with others.

Tadakatsu: When we first planted this tree, we were worried about whether it could thrive here in Shodoshima. This tree itself is surprisingly strong and was even bearing fruit a year after being moved here, but due to our own naivety and egos and our desire to grow this tree, to make it even more impressive, there was a period where the branches grew weak. Since then we have tried to leave the tree to its own devices and find more natural ways to support it.

Toshihiro: In the beginning, we would touch the trunk pretty regularly, but stepping on the ground surrounding the tree negatively affected its growth so we are letting the tree recuperate. We want to do more and are thinking about other solutions, but we know we need to give it time.

Tadakatsu: When it comes to harvest season, we take the olives from this tree and dry and cure them. After much research, we have seen that there is a symbiotic fungus that helps support this thousand-year-old tree, and we are developing a product to help that fungus thrive. It’s not just the olive itself but the whole plant that can be used to support the health and beauty of humans.

Toshihiro: We believe we have created a space worthy of our symbolic tree. We think we have captured the aura of this tree, its history and story, and the contributions it has made to human civilization. What do you feel looking up at this olive tree?