publication
REKIHAKU
No.174 A Witness to History
A photographic introduction to items from the collection
Gallery 4 Toward completion of renovation
Yakusugi craftworks
A number of climbers have visited the mountainous area of Yakushima to have a look at Jomon Sugi (Photo 1), which is presented as a typical yakusugi. Here, we can see that yakusugi has a significant value as an object of appreciation. “A Witness to History” will introduce the fact that yakusugi that have been logged or have died are processed into craftworks, creating new value.
In general, cedars aged over more than a thousand years growing in the mountainous areas of Yakushima are called yakusugi, cedars less than a thousand years old are called kosugi, and cedars planted in villages are called “jisugi.” However, cedars with a high density of annual rings and a lot of resin have also been called yakusugi even they are seven to eight hundred years old. We should understand that yakusugi and kosugi are distinguished not only by age but also by how they are used. As for the variety, “yakusugi,” kosugi, and jisugi are all “cedars” (Cryptomeria japonica).
As Fumiko Hayashi said, Yakushima is a place where “rain falls for thirty-five days in a month”; some mountainous areas have rainfall nearly reaching 10,000 mm (10 m). A high-rainfall environment is advantageous for the growth of cedars, but cedars in Yakushima are slow-glowing because the surface soil is thin and the earth is poor. In fact, the width of annual rings of yakusugi is only 1 to 2 mm. Photo 2 shows craftworks using yakusugi in the upper part and jisugi in the lower part. We can see at a glance how tightly this yakusugi is grained. Because it grows slowly, yakusugi contains a lot of resin, which renders it less susceptible to rot, and sometimes it is left in the forests over several hundred years after it has been logged or has died. This is called domaiboku (Photo 3) and is used as a raw material for today's yakusugi craftworks.
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Photo 1: Jomon Sugi |
Photo 2: Yakusugi craftworks using yakusugi and jisugi |
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Photo 3: Domaiboku still left in the forest |
Photo 4: Hiragi (Replicas using jisugi) |
Continual logging of yakusugi began after the middle of the seventeenth century. At that time, yakusugi was cut down by yoki, (a traditional ax) carried to the village after processing into hiragi as roofing material on the site, and sent to the Satsuma domain as a tribute (Photo 4). Any excess hiragi was exchanged for daily commodities provided by the feudal clan.
In the second half of the Taisho period, national forestry management started officially, forming forestry villages such as Kosugidani, Ishizuka, etc. on national lands, and cedar wood was carried to the villages using forest railways (Photo 5). Logging of live yakusugi was prohibited at that time. However, in the Showa 30s, large-scale logging of yakusugi spread because of the introduction of chain saws and the lifting of the ban on yakusugi logging (Photo 6). This excessive production rapidly depleted cedar resources in the mountainous areas, forcing the last forestry village like Kosugidani to close in 1970 (Showa 45). Today, logging of yakusugi is prohibited, and only domaiboku carried by helicopter is used for craftworks.
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Photo 7: Green-powdered-tea bowl with awakobu |
Photo 8: Wooden plate with toramoku |
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Photo 9: Decorative vase with renkon |
Photo 10: Set of plates with the image of hiragi |
Because it is soft and the hardness differs depending on the density of the annual rings, yakusugi was considered unsuitable for so-called hikimono. However, around 1960 (Showa 35), a craftsman living in Kagoshima City established a method of processing domaiboku on a potter's wheel, and after that, typical yakusugi craftworks such as decorative vases, wooden plates, etc. began to be made.
For yakusugi craftworks, wood with unique wood grain, etc. different from hiragi is preferred. Awakobu is particularly highly valued because it is rare. Awakobu means the patchy pattern that occurs in a portion that could not grow normally due to disease. Because it is extremely uncommon, the peripheral portion has also rot and cracks in many cases. The green-powdered-tea bowl shown in Photo 7 also takes advantage of the rotten portion in addition to awakobu.
Craftworks with komyo are also highly valued because of their rarity. Komyo is a graded shiny pattern that occurs when the tree could not grow straight for some reason. In particular, when the graded pattern is regular with clear shading, it is called toramoku. Among yakusugi craftworks, the wooden plate shown in Photo 8 is a craftwork backed by sophisticated technology, making use of the toramoku pattern while utilizing the rotten portion as it is.
The portions that look worm-eaten due to decay, fungus, etc. are called renkon. The renkon portions and their surrounding areas are fragile in most cases. Such wood is not preferred for making craftworks because it breaks easily when being processed on a potter's wheel and filed. Occasionally, we find some wood that can be processed into large craftworks such as decorative vases, etc. because of the clear difference between the rotted portions and the normal portions. In Photo 9, we can see the craftsman’s perseverance for embellishment in each of the carefully polished renkon. |
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Photo 11: Large magatama with komyo |
Photo 12: Aromatic oil extracted from yakusugi |
In recent years, smaller products have become more popular than decorative vases, trays, large plates, etc. Furthermore, the products have diversified. For example, there is a set of plates associated with the image of hiragi while being practical as tableware (Photo 10). In contrast, some products are not practical but are popular among tourists who seek healing (Photo 11). In relation to healing, aromatic oil extracted from yakusugi is also sold (Photo 12). As mentioned above, there are also products with the image of forest fairies making use of the different wood grains of yakusugi and jisugi (Photo 2).
In the period when hiragi was produced, people preferred cedars that grew straight and had a relatively large width of annual rings. On the other hand, the roots, which are hard to log, and wood with lumps and deformed wood grain were left in the forests. Today, those which were once considered useless are taken out as domaiboku and processed into high-value-added products.
For domaiboku, too, there has been concern about depletion of resources. I do not mean to deny the value of natural heritage, but it is desirable that inheritance of cultural resources produced through the relationship with the residents of Yakushima also be considered when measures are taken for the conservation of nature.
[References]
- Masatake Iida. 1995. Kagoshima-no-dento-kogei. Shunendo Shoten.
- Shinichi Ushijima et al. 2006.Yakusugi-rinnai-no-kirikabu-ni-kansuru-nenrinnendaigakuteki-kenkyu. Kyushu Shinrin Kenkyu. Vol. 59. p. 150-153.
- Kagoshima Prefecture. 1996. Zusetsu Yakushima: Yakushima Kankyo Bunka-mura Gaido (Guide Yakushima Environmental Culture Village).
- Narihisa Nakashima. 2010. Mori-no-kaihatsu-to-kamigami-no-toso: Yakushima-no-kankyominzokugaku.
- Fumiko Hayashi. 1958. Ukigumo. Shinchosha.
Shigemitsu Shibasaki (Forest Policy, Research Department)
