SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — San Francisco’s Japantown was the victim of vandals earlier this week.
Two cherry blossom trees in front of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center were completely destroyed, the center announced on Facebook.
“This was not simply a passerby trying to break a branch off for fun. Someone took their time breaking off every branch,” Executive Director Paul Osaki said. “This was no easy task as some of the larger branches were over 3″ thick and the trees 12′ to 15′ feet high.”
PHOTO: Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) 
PHOTO: Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) 
PHOTO: Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) 
PHOTO: Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC)
The trees were destroyed down to the trunk and not a single branch was left of the trees.
Japantown has seen vandalism in the past.
Another tree was similarly vandalized two years ago.
The historic cherry blossom trees were the first to be planted in San Francisco’s Japantown in over 50 years since the Redevelopment Agency uprooted every tree in Japantown during the 1960-1970’s.
The Center planted the Cherry Blossom trees to commemorate the visit of the Emperor and Empress of Japan in 1994.