The holiday season brings out the enthusiasts who are in search of the most perfect Christmas tree that can be found. While many diligent tree lovers don’t mind spending a little extra to get exactly what they want, others will complain about the rising costs of freshly cut Christmas trees. Some of the better options can range between fifty to two hundred dollars, depending upon the size and the type. If you are among those who are a bit disjointed about the amount that you just spent on a tree that will be thrown out in about ten days’ time, here is something that might make you feel a little better about your situation. There is a $2 Million Christmas tree in Tokyo that is displayed by a retailer in the glitzy part of town. It doesn’t have many of the attributes that you would expect to find in a traditional tree all decked out for the holiday season, but after we explain a little more about it, you’ll understand why.
The owners of the tree
The Tokyo retailer who owns the Christmas tree with an estimated value of two million yen is the Ginza Tanaka store. They are a fine jewelry retailer and the tree has been made in house by their talented artisans to show off some of Japan’s finest work.
Is the tree for sale?
From what we could gather, it could be, but there aren’t that many people wo are willing to turn loose that large amount of cash for a non traditional tree…even if it is crafted of pure gold. We believe that the odds are in favor of the Ginza Tanaka hanging on to this one. We’re not sure if they’ll be using it for decoration again next year or not.
A closer look at the two million yen tree
Most of you are probably wondering what could make this tree worth such a high amount. It certainly isn’t the size because it measures in at just six and a half feet tall. It is the materials that were used in the crafting of this Yuletide masterpiece. Only the finest and purest wire gold was used in the creation of the tree. It is of a 99.999 percent purity which makes it soft and pliable. It has the appearance of spiderwebs and under the jeweler’s lighting it does make a magnificent display.
The framework is fairly bland and from a distance, the tree really doesn’t’ look that special. It is when you get a closeup look that you can see the intricacies of what appears to be fine spindles of spun gold wire. Perhaps much of its appeal is in the psychological value of the structure. Just knowing that it has been made with just under four thousand feet of pure gold wire definitely assigns some value. The total weight of the tree is forty two pounds.
How much in USD?
The conversion of two million yen is the equivalent of about 1.8 million dollars in US currency. The price tag is indeed very high but it is commensurate with the going price of gold. You may wonder why anyone would invest this much in a Christmas tree that really doesn’t have much resemblance to what we would consider a traditional tree? More than the hope of selling the tree, the retailer has crafted the tree for the purpose of giving the world a glance at the immense talent that resides within Japan. The country is already known for world class craftsmanship in the jewelry industry, but this example gives it an extra boost with a real attention getter that was probably a lot of fun to construct. Artisans are funny that way. The things that some would consider to be a labor intensive effort, would by those who love their work be more a labor of love and a chance to show the world what they are really capable of achieving.
Final thoughts
Tokyo’s two million yen Christmas tree isn’t what you’d expect and from a distance, the true beauty is not recognizable. It is when you get an up close and personal look at the delicate application of pure gold strands of the finest wire that glisten and gleam with golden intensity under the specialized lights of the jeweler that you realize the true amazingness of the tree.
