in Architecture, History, Nature | October 23rd, 2020 10 Comments
We’ve all admired the eleÂgance of Japan’s traÂdiÂtionÂal styles of archiÂtecÂture. Their develÂopÂment required the kind of dedÂiÂcatÂed craftsÂmanÂship that takes genÂerÂaÂtions to culÂtiÂvate — but also, more pracÂtiÂcalÂly speakÂing, no small amount of wood. By the 15th cenÂtuÂry, Japan already faced a shortÂage of seedlings, as well as land on which to propÂerÂly culÂtiÂvate the trees in the first place. NecesÂsiÂty being the mothÂer of invenÂtion, this led to the creÂation of an ingeÂnious soluÂtion: daisuÂgi, the growÂing of addiÂtionÂal trees, in effect, out of existÂing trees — creÂatÂing, in othÂer words, a kind of giant bonÂsai.
“WritÂten as 台杉 and litÂerÂalÂly meanÂing platÂform cedar, the techÂnique resultÂed in a tree that resemÂbled an open palm with mulÂtiÂple trees growÂing out if it, perÂfectÂly verÂtiÂcal,” writes Spoon and TamÂago’s JohnÂny WaldÂman. “Done right, the techÂnique can preÂvent deforÂestaÂtion and result in perÂfectÂly round and straight timÂber known as taruÂki, which are used in the roofs of JapanÂese teaÂhousÂes.”
These teaÂhousÂes are still promiÂnent in Kyoto, a city still known for its traÂdiÂtionÂal culÂturÂal herÂitage, and not coinÂciÂdenÂtalÂly where daisuÂgi first develÂoped. “It’s said that it was Kyoto’s preÂemÂiÂnent tea masÂter, Sen-no-rikyu, who demandÂed perÂfecÂtion in the KitayaÂma cedar durÂing the 16th cenÂtuÂry,” writes My ModÂern Met’s JesÂsiÂca StewÂart.
At the time “a form of very straight and stylÂized sukiya-zukuri archiÂtecÂture was high fashÂion, but there simÂply weren’t nearÂly enough raw mateÂriÂals to build these homes for every noble or samuÂrai who wantÂed one,” says a thread by TwitÂter account Wrath of Gnon, which includes these and othÂer phoÂtos of daisuÂgi in action. “Hence this clever soluÂtion of using bonÂsai techÂniques on trees.” AesÂthetÂics aside — as far aside as they ever get in Japan, at any rate — “the lumÂber proÂduced in this method is 140% as flexÂiÂble as stanÂdard cedar and 200% as dense/strong,” makÂing it “absoluteÂly perÂfect for rafters and roof timÂber.” And not only is daisuÂgi’s prodÂuct straight, slenÂder, and typhoon-resisÂtant, it’s marÂveled at around the world 600 years latÂer. Of how many forestry techÂniques can we say the same?
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The Art & PhiÂlosÂoÂphy of BonÂsai
Based in Seoul, ColÂin MarÂshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall, on FaceÂbook, or on InstaÂgram.