Okinawa Gajumaru Photo Book Project: Share Your Favorite Banyan Tree

Asumui Hikes (Kunigami Village) and Gangala Valley (Nanjo City), operated by Nanto Co., have launched the 'Gajumaru of Okinawa's Memories' photo book project to preserve records of banyan trees and the human stories connected to them. Photographer Masahiro Komachi, who has visited Okinawa over 100 times across 20 years and photographed more than 1,000 gajumaru trees, will contribute archival work alongside new photographs taken in late June 2026. Okinawa residents are invited to submit information on local gajumaru trees - including location, local nicknames, personal memories, and optional photos - via Google Form, LINE, or email from June 5 to 19. Trees that served as children's playgrounds, meeting spots, or community event centers are especially sought. Contributors whose previously unphotographed tree is selected for the photo book will receive a free admission ticket for 5 people to either Asumui Hikes or Gangala Valley. Komachi published his first gajumaru photo book in 2009 and donated copies to all Okinawa elementary schools.