Japan does not cut down centuries-old trees for development. Instead, experts spend months preparing their roots and relocating them

• When roads, railways or new buildings are planned, centuries-old trees are often among the first casualties of development.
• In Japan, however, some of the country's most valuable trees are given a second chance.
• Rather than cutting them down, arborists and horticultural experts sometimes relocate them using a painstaking process that can take months or even more than a year.