Yamada Isamu
Kyoto lies in a basin mostly surrounded by mountains. In particular, those in the north are known by two terms: okuyama, meaning deep, remote mountains and satoyama, referring to the arable mountain foothills standing in front of okuyama. On the slopes of these high grounds, Kitayama forestry has been practiced for more than 600 years. This traditional forestry is characterized by dense planting of cedar trees on steep rocky slopes, intensive pruning of limbs and branches as well as training and shaping. These steps are important for raising trees with straight trunks that are knot-free. A technique to create artificial shibori, a smooth and welted surface that looks like natural shibori, has also been developed. This multiplies a log’s value by several times. Another unique practice is the smooth polishing of the logs’ surface with sand. No other place in the world does this.
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