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Bonsai Tree, Aged 390, Survived the Hiroshima Bomb and No-One Knew Till 2001

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A photograph taken of Hiroshima city in 1946 (Picture: Rex)

A Japanese bonsai tree in the United States is not only 390-years-old but also survived the atomic bomb which decimated Hiroshima in 1945.

Donated to the US National Arboretum, Washington D.C. in 1978 - this miniature white pine dates back to the 1625.

The Washington Post reported that Georgetown Law student, Moses Weisberg, discovered this remarkable tree while walking his bicycle through the arboretum.

He said: ‘For one, it’s amazing to think that something could have survived an atomic blast.

‘And then that by some happenstance a Japanese tree from the 1600s ended up here.’

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The Hiroshima bomb mushrooming into the atmosphere (Picture: Rex)

The bonsai tree will honoured on August 6 as part of the 70th Anniversary of the Hiroshima bomb in 1945.

It was donated to the US by bonsai master named Masaru Yamaki as part of a 53 specimen gift in honour of the United States Bicentennial year in 1976.

The tree’s history remained unknown until 2001 when Masuru Yamaki’s grandsons Shigeru and Akira showed photos of it having survived the blast in the nursery.

It is believed that a wall shielded it from the blast.

The President of the nonprofit National Bonsai Foundation, Felix Laughlin said: ‘I find it amazing that Masaru Yamaki could give a priceless bonsai basically to his enemy and not say a word about it.

‘I get emotional just talking about it.’

The tree has already long outlived its life expectancy and will be housed in the Arboretum’s refurbished Japanese Pavilion with the placard reading: ‘ In training since 1625 ‘.