No Need to Cut Down Trees to Harvest Wood: The Ancient Japanese Technique That Amazes the World.
The rampant forest fires and the rapid melting of glaciers have triggered alarm bells regarding the out-of-control global warming crisis. In response to this situation, reforestation is becoming a viable solution to tackle this environmental crisis. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) estimates that their reforestation efforts could remove 70 billion tons of carbon over the next 30 years.
But is this realistic? Reforestation is not as simple as it seems because we are utilizing a significant amount of wood. According to Reuters, many environmental activists and even the United Nations have recommended that instead of plastic, we should use wood products to be more eco-friendly.
In light of this, there is a method that allows us to obtain wood without cutting down trees, known as an ancient forestry technique from Japan called Daisugi, which is primarily applied to Japanese cedar trees.
Although it has been used in Japan since the 14th century, this method has only recently gained global media attention as an effective solution to deforestation.
Daisugi is a centuries-old forestry technique developed in Japan that allows for wood harvesting without tree felling, originating from a pruning method applied to the stumps of cedar trees.
The Daisugi technique was developed in the 14th century.
Invented by the people of the Kitayama region in the 14th century, this method can be applied in any area and allows tree growers to shorten the harvesting cycle while increasing wood yield. Today, this ancient technique is widely used in decorative gardens.
After growth, the tree shoots are carefully pruned approximately every two years, leaving only the top branches to ensure that the subsequent branches grow vertically. As a result, wood can still be harvested without cutting the tree down completely.
Vertical wood without many knots is often preferred for use as pillars in Sukiya-zukuri homes.
After about 20 years, these giant tree shoots can be harvested as Kitayama wood or replanted to regenerate the forest.
Twenty years may seem like a long time, but cedars grown using the Daisugi technique actually develop faster than those planted in the ground.
Daisugi was developed in the 14th century when Sukiya-zukuri, a style of architecture characterized by the use of natural materials, flourished. The straight, knot-free Kitayama wood is often preferred for use as pillars in Sukiya-zukuri homes.
However, due to limited planting area, the Daisugi technique was created to meet demand.
Even today, in Kyoto, Japan, there are mother trees that are hundreds of years old.
By the 16th century, the demand for Kitayama cedar wood decreased, and the Daisugi technique was used less frequently. Nevertheless, due to its remarkable effects, Daisugi is still applied in decorative gardens throughout Japan.
Today, these “mother trees” can still be found in certain areas of Japan, with some of the giant trees measuring about 15 meters in diameter.
A Familiar Method with a Different Version
While it has gained a lot of attention recently, the Daisugi technique seems familiar to Western forestry experts. Since ancient times, Western countries have also practiced a method known as “coppicing,” which involves steps similar to those of Daisugi.
The Daisugi method compared to the coppicing method.
In coppicing, after cutting down a tree, the grower retains the stump and roots of the old tree, then carefully nurtures them to stimulate the growth of new shoots right from the cut stump.
The benefits of this method for climate change have also been recognized in some parts of Europe. In 2018, Reforesting Scotland began promoting coppicing as an effective way to restore the country’s barren forests. Similarly, in Austria, this technique is also highly regarded in wildlife conservation and combating climate change.
