In search of the "story of wood recycling," we traveled to Yoshino Village in Nara. This time, we visited the "Yoshino Lumber Town." From Yamato-Kamiichi Station on the Kintetsu Line, crossing the Yoshino River via a railway bridge, we found a lumber complex with 38 sawmills clustered within a 2km stretch stretching east to west.
■To the Log Market Where the Auction Takes Place
We arrived at the Kamiyoshino Lumber Cooperative's log market. There are two log markets in Yoshino. While being awed by the sight of large cranes firmly gripping large trees, we were guided by mountain guardian Shota Nakai (Nakagami Lumber).
The log market is held twice a month. Over 100 people from sawmills both within and outside the prefecture participate, and the event is said to resemble an auction at Tsukiji. If you want a tree, you can indicate your price using a number, and a facilitator known as a pendulum will decide the price. This pendulum worker's job requires considerable skill, as he must instantly read the numbers on the fingers and carefully select the logs in advance to arrange them in order of best to worst.
Trees lined up at the log market
■Listening to the history of Yoshino lumber
Yoshino lumber boasts a history that dates back 500 years. It began with artificial plantations during the Muromachi period, and later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi took possession of Yoshino and is said to have used Yoshino cedar when building Osaka Castle and Fushimi Castle.
Yoshino cedar became a brand during the Edo period. Originally, repeated trial and error was carried out to cultivate "tight-grained, straight, and fragrant cedar" suitable for barrels and wooden pails used to store sake. The wood was given a gentle curve to be used as the barrel sides, and these were called "tarumaru," and were sent to sake-producing areas such as Nada and Fushimi before being assembled. These tarumaru were incredibly popular, with one million barrels produced in a single year, a popularity that continued for approximately 200 years. Since then, Yoshino cedar has been recognized as a high-quality material.
■ Off to the sawmill!
Today, we visited Yoshino Chuo Mokuzai Co., Ltd., one of the 38 sawmills.
First, looking back at the history of this "Yoshino Lumber Town," the lumberyard was established in 1939. Until then, Yoshino timber was transported to Wakayama via the Yoshino River, but the economic benefits were all lost to Wakayama, leading to the construction of a prefectural lumberyard.
In its heyday, the Yoshino lumberyard boasted three ponds for storing timber, and even a freight train ran along the mountain side to transport timber. During the postwar housing construction peak in the 1950s, there were as many as 130 sawmills lined up here. However, the ponds have now been filled in, and the freight train service was discontinued in the mid-1950s due to the development of the automobile.
The process of "wood harvesting." Before cutting, the wood's characteristics are assessed and its intended use decided.
■ See expert techniques up close
Yoshino Chuo Zaimoku has 16 employees. All of them are able to discern the grain and quality of wood. "In every process, you need an expert eye to make the most of the wood's charm," says Managing Director Terukazu Ishibashi.
This work requires expert skills to determine how to cut the wood to maximize its appeal and avoid waste, and to craft a story.
Sharpening takes a whopping half a day. Just as a chef sharpens a knife, the sharpness of a band saw, which is the key to cutting wood, is ensured by the skilled sharpening skills of the craftsman.
"The sawing workshop houses machinery that has been in use for half a century. This is where the bandsaws used for lumbering are manually maintained and adjusted.
The time axis with wood is long here as well. After the wood is cut, it is dried artificially or naturally for six months to a year. Any warping or distortion that occurs during this time is corrected by re-sawn, and it finally takes on a straight, beautiful shape. After many seasons, the trees of Yoshino are delivered to their users.
■Young energy, pride in wood, a spirit of inheritance, and a passion to connect
Contrary to the concerns of outsiders, Ishibashi's passion for the sawmill is focused squarely on the future. Now in their 30s, the second and third generations of the company are in their 30s, and they are discovering new endeavors, such as hosting an event called the "Lumber Town Walk" and distributing the free booklet "Choboku Book."
"Our job isn't to cut trees to fit our products, but to break them down while examining their unique characteristics. In other words, it's about subtracting, which is quite difficult (laughs)." Like the activities of the trees that are an integral part of life in Yoshino, we had the opportunity to learn about a job imbued with skills and passion that have been carefully passed down through the generations.
Next time, we will visit a sake brewery in Yoshino that has revived the "wooden barrel brewing" method of sake, which uses wooden barrels made from Yoshino cedar.
[Sawmill information]
57 Tachibanaya, Yoshino-cho, Yoshino-gun, Nara Prefecture
TEL 0746-32-2181
http://www.homarewood.co.jp/
■To the Log Market Where the Auction Takes Place
We arrived at the Kamiyoshino Lumber Cooperative's log market. There are two log markets in Yoshino. While being awed by the sight of large cranes firmly gripping large trees, we were guided by mountain guardian Shota Nakai (Nakagami Lumber).
The log market is held twice a month. Over 100 people from sawmills both within and outside the prefecture participate, and the event is said to resemble an auction at Tsukiji. If you want a tree, you can indicate your price using a number, and a facilitator known as a pendulum will decide the price. This pendulum worker's job requires considerable skill, as he must instantly read the numbers on the fingers and carefully select the logs in advance to arrange them in order of best to worst.
Trees lined up at the log market
■Listening to the history of Yoshino lumber
Yoshino lumber boasts a history that dates back 500 years. It began with artificial plantations during the Muromachi period, and later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi took possession of Yoshino and is said to have used Yoshino cedar when building Osaka Castle and Fushimi Castle.
Yoshino cedar became a brand during the Edo period. Originally, repeated trial and error was carried out to cultivate "tight-grained, straight, and fragrant cedar" suitable for barrels and wooden pails used to store sake. The wood was given a gentle curve to be used as the barrel sides, and these were called "tarumaru," and were sent to sake-producing areas such as Nada and Fushimi before being assembled. These tarumaru were incredibly popular, with one million barrels produced in a single year, a popularity that continued for approximately 200 years. Since then, Yoshino cedar has been recognized as a high-quality material.
■ Off to the sawmill!
Today, we visited Yoshino Chuo Mokuzai Co., Ltd., one of the 38 sawmills.
First, looking back at the history of this "Yoshino Lumber Town," the lumberyard was established in 1939. Until then, Yoshino timber was transported to Wakayama via the Yoshino River, but the economic benefits were all lost to Wakayama, leading to the construction of a prefectural lumberyard.
In its heyday, the Yoshino lumberyard boasted three ponds for storing timber, and even a freight train ran along the mountain side to transport timber. During the postwar housing construction peak in the 1950s, there were as many as 130 sawmills lined up here. However, the ponds have now been filled in, and the freight train service was discontinued in the mid-1950s due to the development of the automobile.
The process of "wood harvesting." Before cutting, the wood's characteristics are assessed and its intended use decided.
■ See expert techniques up close
Yoshino Chuo Zaimoku has 16 employees. All of them are able to discern the grain and quality of wood. "In every process, you need an expert eye to make the most of the wood's charm," says Managing Director Terukazu Ishibashi.
This work requires expert skills to determine how to cut the wood to maximize its appeal and avoid waste, and to craft a story.
Sharpening takes a whopping half a day. Just as a chef sharpens a knife, the sharpness of a band saw, which is the key to cutting wood, is ensured by the skilled sharpening skills of the craftsman.
"The sawing workshop houses machinery that has been in use for half a century. This is where the bandsaws used for lumbering are manually maintained and adjusted.
The time axis with wood is long here as well. After the wood is cut, it is dried artificially or naturally for six months to a year. Any warping or distortion that occurs during this time is corrected by re-sawn, and it finally takes on a straight, beautiful shape. After many seasons, the trees of Yoshino are delivered to their users.
■Young energy, pride in wood, a spirit of inheritance, and a passion to connect
Contrary to the concerns of outsiders, Ishibashi's passion for the sawmill is focused squarely on the future. Now in their 30s, the second and third generations of the company are in their 30s, and they are discovering new endeavors, such as hosting an event called the "Lumber Town Walk" and distributing the free booklet "Choboku Book."
"Our job isn't to cut trees to fit our products, but to break them down while examining their unique characteristics. In other words, it's about subtracting, which is quite difficult (laughs)." Like the activities of the trees that are an integral part of life in Yoshino, we had the opportunity to learn about a job imbued with skills and passion that have been carefully passed down through the generations.
Next time, we will visit a sake brewery in Yoshino that has revived the "wooden barrel brewing" method of sake, which uses wooden barrels made from Yoshino cedar.
[Sawmill information]
57 Tachibanaya, Yoshino-cho, Yoshino-gun, Nara Prefecture
TEL 0746-32-2181
http://www.homarewood.co.jp/
