林業 Forest Industry

林業

北山杉は何故あんなに細長くて、先っぽだけに葉っぱをつけているのでしょう。北山杉は伐採され、皮をむかれて、砂で磨かれた後、丸太のままで床柱に使われてきました。床柱は、部屋の広さにふさわしいものでなければならないので、日本間の広さから言うと、直径が１５センチ前後の太さでなければなりません。そして節のないまままっすぐな丸太でなければなりません。太すぎるからといって、曲がっているからといって製材機にかけて修正してしまうと、その瞬間北山杉でなくなるからです。

つまり山で伐採するときに１５センチの太さでまっすぐに節がないことが条件になりますので、山でその様に育てなければならないのです。

従って、伐採時期の３０年で１５センチの太さになるように、太さのコントロールをしています。

普通３０年生になりますと２０センチ以上の太さの木に育ちますので、そんなに太くならないように技術を沢山落として炭酸同化量を抑える、つまり抑制栽培をしているのです。

世界広しと言えども、木を育てる林業で、抑制栽培をしているのは北山杉だけなのです。だから、北山杉のような細長い形をした林は中川でしか見られないのです。

そのために、極めて丁寧な枝打ちを繰り返して行って、世界で一番高い費用をかけて、世界で最も高い価格の木材を作ってきたのです。

外国人にそのような説明をすると（誰がそんなに高い木材を買うのか？）と尋ねてきます。（買うのは日本人だ）と答えると ( That's unbelievable 信じられない ) という返事が返ってきます。

日本人は、木材に対する美意識が高く、高い木材でも建築に使いたいと思うのです。ちなみに漢和辞典でどんな編やつくりの感じが多いか調べてみますと、木編の感じがダントツに多いことが分かります。文字通り日本は木の文化の国だということがお分かりでしょう。

Forest Industry of Kitayama Region

Have you ever wondered why those cedars are so straight with slim trunks? In the production of cedars, the barks are ripped off the trunk and polished with sand. After all such process of production the trees were used straight in the organic form of logs as they grew up. Those pillars have to be in appropriate size suitable to be used in the place of alcove posts in traditional architectures in Japan. In the place of Japanese rooms they have to be around the size of 15 cm in diameter. Those pillars have to be built with logs that are completely straight. Even if the logs are not straight or warped in their shapes, we should never process them with a machine to adjust their shapes because they will no longer be Kitayama Cedars.

Since the logs must come in the exact shape as explained above, they have to be cultivated into such form while they are grown in the mountain. That's the condition of our products. The foundamental technique of our cultivation method is to control the growth of trees in the mountain.

Cedar trunks would normally grow into the size of 20 cm in diameter in the course of 30 years. If they grow into that size they are no longer appropriate. Therefore, we adopt our technique to control their growth by suppressing the assimilation of their carbonation in their growth.

There are many different types of forest industries in this world, but this is one and only type of forest industry adopting the method of controlling carbonate assimilation. This is why you can see such forest of slim cedars ( Kitayama Cedars ) grown in mass only in Nakagawa.

For the production of these logs we have invested the largest amount of cost by repeating meticulous pruning of their branches to produce the most expensive wood products in the world.

We are often asked a question by foreign visitors. They ask " Who would purchase such kind of expensive wood products? " and we answer " Japanese people would " They say " That's unbelievable ". Japanese people appreciate the esthetic value of wood products. therefore, many of them are willing to adopt such pricey materials for their architecture. As there are so many characters in Kanji with a part formed with a letter of " wood ", you can see how the culture of Japan was developed

English Information on Kitayama Cedars ↓

** Forestry of Kitayama 北山の林業

☆ Silviculture & traditional woodcraft / Cultivation method of Kitayama Cedars 北山杉の栽培と植林工程

Silviculture is a study and method of growing trees.

** Woodcraft the practical knowledeg of woods and forests.

History of Kitayama Cedar Cultivation.

☆ Method of Daisugi ☆

Daisugi ( Foundation ) Great White Cedar of 500 years old

On the condition of growing trees on a sloping hill side, it was quite a challenge to cultivate desirable trees and even the seedlings of cedars were very precious at the beginning. In such circumstances the methiod of Daisugi was invented and adopted only in Kitayama. By letting smaller offshoots 側枝 grow out vertically by using an old mother tree ( White Cedar ) as their foundation, they successfully produced hundreds of offshoots from one big trunk of a large type which is ( Daisugi = Foundation Cedar = a mother tree ). They grow out from one tree like a forest of its own. In this way they could reduce the amount of plantation work and shorten the cycle of reaping and most of all, it was the way to grow cedars with high density fiber. They originally adopted a great white cedar as their mother tree (= Daisugi ).

Kitayama cedar is known for its smooth texture and the uniformity of width derived from its unique cultivation method. なめらかな感触と特殊な栽培法の工程により均一な太さが得られることで有名です。

Kitayama cedars are carefully cultivated during a long time. This process of cultivation includes various processes.

1. Careful selection of the young plants.

2. Cutting off the unnecessary branches to arrange their shapes.

3. Polishing their circular shape during the coldest season.

It is believed that the trunks with an ordered thickness should grow up straight up to the sky, therefore branches and leaves remain only at the top of the trees. They are made to rise vertically within the forest. This is how those man-made beauty looks extremely attractive.

Works of traditional woodcraft developed over 600 years of history

Polished logs of Kitayama 北山磨き丸太

What’s Polished logs?

This technique of processing logs into the production of Polished logs of Kitayama has been developed in the region of Kitayama over the past 600 years The village of Nakagawa played the central role of this forest industry. They are produced by stripping the logs of their bark and polish the surface with sand. There are two types of polished logs. One is made in the size of alcove posts and the other slim type is produced to be used as rafters to support the eaves of a house. Polished logs of Kitayama has developed into current state along with development of culture of wooden architecture in Japan. In old times, these logs were used in the structure of Imperial villa of Katsura and Daitokuji Temple as well as in the structure of Japanese tea rooms and Sukiya style houses before they were used for the construction of residential buildings. Since the production of these logs requires 5 to 6 times of intensive labor compared to other types of production for ordinary logs, every single log is carefully handled as if raising a child during the entire process of production until the final stage of nation-wide distribution in sales. This is why they describe this stage of distribution in their words “ Giving my daughter away “. For the geographical feature of Nakagawa surrounded by mountain hills there is little arable land used for farming. Therefore, the production of these polished logs mainly supports the lives of people in the village. Even now, the beautiful landscape of Nakagawa in itself represents the history of life and culture of folks in the village.

磨き丸太とは

皮をはがし、表面を砂で磨き上げて作られる磨き丸太は、600年前から中川を中心とした北山地域で生産されてきました。磨き丸太には2種類あり、一つは、床柱の太さのもの、もう一つは、屋根のひさしを支える垂木（タルキ）と呼ばれる細い丸太です。古くは、桂離宮や大徳寺にも使われ、茶室、数寄屋建築を始め、一般の住宅にも使われて、日本の木造建築文化とともに発展してきました。磨き丸太になる北山杉は、一般の木材の5∼6倍もの手間をかけてまるでわが子のように育てられ、一本一本ていねいに加工されて全国に販売されます。丹精込めた磨き丸太を出荷するとき、中川の人たちは、｢嫁に出す｣と表現します。中川には、田畑がほとんどないため、磨き丸太の生産が人々の暮らしを支えてきました。現在の中川の美しい景観は、こうした人々の生活の歴史そのものを表しています。

Beginning of Polished logs

There is this legend in Nakagawa. Once upon a time there was a traveling monk who struck down for his illness in Nakagawa. A villager who saw this carefully offered to treat him and attended to his nursing. Thanks to the tender care of this villager the monk was able to make his recovery. In return, the monk gave him a piece of advice. He said “ Go and try polishing your logs with sand at the basin under the waterfall of Bodai. They will turn into beautiful logs. ” So he did just as he was told and it did a magic. The logs turned brilliantly lustrous. Later, those polished logs from Nakagawa became popular products in the capital.

磨き丸太のはじまり

中川には、こんな言い伝えがあります。むかしむかし、ある旅の僧が、病気のため、中川で行き倒れてしまいました。これを見た村人は、懸命に手当てと看病をし、そのおかげで僧は元気になりました。僧は、そのお礼にと、こんなことを村人に教えてくれました。「菩提の滝の滝つぼにある砂で、丸太を磨いてみなさい、きっときれいになりますよ」と。村人たちが言われたとおりにしてみると、なんと、丸太はぴかぴかに輝き、中川の丸太は、都で大変な人気になったということです。

The process of main preparation called “ Honjikomi “

There is a term “ honjikomi “ in the world of producing Japanese sake. The same term has been used for the traditional technique in the world of producing Polished logs in Nakagawa. In mid-summer, the trees are logged and stripped of their bark with leaves and branches still on their trunks. After this, they are leaned over standing trees to dry in the sun. This method prevents cracking in the process of drying in the sun. With those leaves and branches left on the top part of the trunks, the moisture in the tree will exit from their cores. This method was invented in order to produce lustrous products finished without cracks. Nowadays, this original method is rarely practiced although it is one of the precious techniques performed with experience of master craftsmanship which we wish to hand down to posterity.

本仕込

お酒に本仕込みという言葉があるように、中川の磨き丸太にも、｢本仕込｣という伝統技法があります。真夏のころ北山杉を伐採し、枝葉をつけたまま皮をはいで立木にかけて天日で乾燥させます。先端に枝を残すことで丸太の芯から水分が抜け、ツヤがよく、ヒワレのしない丸太を作ることができます。今ではほとんど行われていませんが、職人の技と経験のなせる後世へ残したい技術の一つです

**Forest of Daisugi ( Copious foundation cedar )

This woodcraft of foundation cedar was originally invented in the region of Kitayama for their characteristic of producing multiple offshoots from one large base trunk.

First we make a foundation of cedar trunk with layers by scrupulous pruning. Once the foundation is made those layers start propagating into new trunks shooting upright. Later, these man-made trunks will be harvested as logs.

Much of plantation works are reduced since those offshoots are constantly produced on its base trunk. The graceful appearance in the shape of these curvaceous trunks makes “ Daisugi “ a popular feature of Japanese gardens for their aesthetic value.

Daisugi is the bottom part of the tree which makes a foundation for small branches to shoot out straight upward. The methos was created in Muromachi period ( during 14th century ). they repeat the process from the same foundamental tree which is daisugi over and over for 100 to 300 years until the foundation gets withered with age.

台杉の林

台杉は芽の出やすい杉の性質を利用した垂木丸太を専門に生産するための北山独自の技術。剪定によって「取り木」のついた台をつくり、そこから垂直に伸びた幹を丸太として伐採する。台の上から次々と芽が出てくるので植林する必要がない。形がしなやかで優雅なので、近年は庭園樹としての人気も高い。

** The History of Kitayama Cedars 北山杉の歴史

The zone which is marked in green is the major location where Kitayama Cedars grow and it is called " Kitayama Region " and the part circled in red is Nakagawa. The polished Kitayama Cedars of Nakagawa area have been adopted for the traditional architectural style of Sukiya since Muromachi Period. The architectural style has broght tremendous impact on the long-standing tradition of " Chanoyu " culture established by Senno Rikyu. Those polished Kitayama Cedars of Nakagawa have been sold entirely in Kansai region through Edo and Meiji period. The major examples that represent this architectural style are Katsura Rikyu and Shugakuin Rikyo of Imperial Villas. Nakagawa area and Water fall of Bodai where the lumbers cut from Kitayama Cedars have been polished are introduced on our page of Sawanoike Pond. The direction to get to the area via route 162 has also been introduced on that page.

** Access to this area from Kyoto city

市内からのアクセスは Sawanoike Pond のページを参照してください

☆ Nakagawa is the Hometown of Kitayama Cedars

This area called Nakagawa is takes the central role of Kitayama Cedar's forest industry. This is why the place is called ( Sugi no Sato = Hometown of Cedars ). The industry started fron Nakagawa and the influence began to spread out tyo Takao and Onogo and Takagamine of Kita-ku area. Logs of Kitayama cedars from these regions are called " Jiyama Maruta = Natural mountain Logs ". Of those from Keihoku, farther north of Nakagawa are called " Tanba Mono = Production of Tanba ". They are the branded building materials.

Back in 1927, the next following year after the end of Taisho Period ( between Meiji and showa ) 120 Kitayama cedars were brought into Kyoto. The height of the trees used to be just about twice as tall as average human height, but now they can grow up to 20 meters or more.

** Introduction of Nakagawa and their local Kitayama Cedars industry

The village of Nakagawa was affected twice by fire in the late Meiji period ( 1868-1912 ) . The houses in the village were restored by the hands of carpenters of Wakasa. There are many houses in the village involved in the works of the Polished logs of Kitayama. Those houses are attached with a hut where they can process and preserve their logs. The typical structure of houses in the village is characterized by the feature of small roof–like structure on the top of their main roof where the smoke is ventilated above the backside of a hearth constructed in the floor called Irori.

These are the images of Nakagawa and local storehouses where the trees were processed.

Group of wooden warehouses : This is a part of storage buildings for the logs in the process of preservation along with the development of forest industry of Kitayama. These buildings were constructed in early Showa period (1926-1989 ). They were once used for the purpose of processing and drying and storing logs. These buildings have unique appearance consist of 3 levels inside. There is an extra level called mid-third floor constructed between the second and the 3^rd floor. Even though the buildings are no longer in use, the presence of these structure still remain to strike out in the view and continue to remind us of the past when villagers used to come in and out with logs on their shoulders.

A guided tour in Nakagawa

Our local guide will show you to the attractions in the village. Please contact “ Association of Nakagawa revitalization project “ for details.

※ The tour will be provided for a group of more than 5 people. Please be informed that we may not be able to provide a tour depends on the schedule of the local guide.

Please contact ↓ ( We also offer to provide seasonal special events )

Association of Nakagawa revitalization project

Tel 075-406-2340 / Fax 075-406-2620 ( Available on weekdays )

Please contact 090-3824-9027 ( Ishioka ) on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays.

Email : yoshiya.iwai@gmail.com

Kitayama Cedars & Forestry of Kitayama 北山杉