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The Oak That Never Shed Its Leaves

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The Oak That Never Shed Its Leaves

The Oak That Never Shed Its Leaves

Their soul is listening — speak, and they will answer.

Basic Description

In the Edo period, a venerable chinquapin/oak tree in the garden of the Matsuura clan’s upper residence at Hirado Shinden, Honjo, was said never to drop a single leaf throughout the year. Counted among the “Seven Wonders of Honjo,” it was viewed as ominous because even evergreens shed leaves. Household members kept their distance, feeling it foretold misfortune. Accounts differ on the exact site and the identity of the actual tree, and details remain uncertain.

Folklore & Legends

Listed among the “Seven Wonders of Honjo,” the tree in the Matsuura clan’s upper residence was reputed to have “no falling leaves.” Gatekeepers said there were no fallen leaves to sweep, and the lord reportedly shunned using the residence due to the uncanny sign. Works like Negishi Jin’e’s Mimi-nagusa (Inō/Mimi-no-O) cite the tale among Edo oddities, but offer no cause—only the record of a marvel.

Yokai Cards2

The Oak That Never Shed Its Leaves across multiple art-style decks

Card gallery

Detailed Analysis

A recorded marvel revered and feared as the very phenomenon of an ancient chinkapin that shed no leaves. Understood less as a personified will and more as the ambience of the land or the work of a tree spirit, it is told alongside other Honjo Seven Mysteries such as Okehazubori and the Foot-Washing Mansion as an enigma that reveals no cause. Named in Mimibukuro and in local gazetteers and collections of strange tales, it is not remembered for direct harm but for an uncanny presence that keeps people away. It aligns with tree veneration and the notion of household guardian trees, with hyperbole like needing no sweeping of fallen leaves to emphasize the marvel. The identification of the actual tree is debated and unconfirmed.

Character Profile

This section is our own creative profile for storytelling. It is not historical fact or scholarship.

Rarity
Uncommon
Personality
taciturn, emotionless as understood in lore
Compatibility
prefers stillness, dislikes clamor and commotion
Abilities
perpetual non-shedding of leaves across the seasons, instills an eerie atmosphere that repels people from a residence, abides as an earth spirit or tree spirit
Weaknesses
uncertain origins make verification difficult, tradition easily lost through felling or relocation
Habitat
around Honjo in Musashi Province, gardens of feudal lords’ mansions

🔮Yokai Compatibility Test

For more detailed information and diagnosis results about Honjo Seven Mysteries – Traditional Lore Version, please click here.

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