Martijn BAARDAIn Japan if a tree is in the way of road building, they bind the roots and move the tree...
Joe Wein@baarda No, they don't. Yes, I've been living here for 30 years. They might do this for very old trees in temples or shrines or parks for special reasons, but there are very few 165 year old trees like this one near public roads in Japan. Most trees in Japan are planted after WW2. This is just one of those "Japan is so special" myths being perpetuated on Facebook and elsewhere.
@baarda Also, around Tokyo many properties with single homes surrounded by a garden with trees are being redeveloped. Almost invariably, all trees on the property are cut down when the old house is demolished. Usually the property is then split into 2-4 smaller lots, each for one tiny home with virtually no vegetation. This type of redevelopment is part of the reason why Tokyo is suffering so badly from the Urban Heat Island effect.