The cultural
work bypeople
In the misty mountains
of Nara Prefecture, Japan,
the sacred forest of Yoshino
natures treasures that transcend
the concept of perfection.
In contract to natural products,
the more than 100-year-old
Yoshino Hinoki (cypress)
and Yoshino Sugi (cedar)are the blessing and gift fromancestor’s work given to themyear by year.
This ancestral craftsmanshipcreates noble trees.
The resistance of these trees
is cultivated in a moist
environment in the valleyof forest. In addition,
the durability of wood fromtree is a proof that it has beencultivated by human hands fora long time, and it can be said
that its bendability is due tothe time spent on its growth.

More than 300 years after
the Japanese first dreamedof it, the sustainable forests
have continuously existed inYoshino. According to theJapanese mythology, it is said
that when Susanoo; the god ofstorms told people how to use
trees respectively,
he told shipbuilders to use
water-resistant Sugi,and carpenters temples
to use Hinoki,This very beautiful,
high-quality material woodthat so far has never been
introduced outside Japan hasreached us in Europe for thefirst time. With hundreds ofyears of history, this wood has
been carefully nurtured by thepeople of Yoshino, supportedpeople’s lives, and protected theabundant natural environment.

Redefining
Yoshinoforests
While humbly listening to thevoice from forests in frontof nature, we will re-define
the Yoshino Hinoki and Sugi
forest. In Yoshino, trees areplanted very closely, therefor
thickening growth of trees isslow and carried out pruning(removing branches for making
less knot tree) and thinning.
Through these processes, only
the good quality trees are
selected and exist for a longtime in Yoshino forest.
For 100-200 years, the selected
trees have less knots, shapeis cylindrical and grow up
straight toward the sky. Dueto close planting and slow
growth, the annual tree ringsof the trunk become fineand uniform, Yoshino forest
products the perfect woodwith a balance of strength andbeauty. Yoshino Forestry canbe said to be the perfection ofcollaboration between humans
and nature.

A divine
blessing
Until the 16th century, Yoshinowood was cut down for namely
the construction of shrines andtemples dedicated to the gods
and Buddha who dwell within
the mountains and forests.
Even today, when cutting trees,a Shinto ritual is held to receive
the blessing of the mountaingod. In other words, for people,
Yoshino wood is a blessing
from the mountain god.

The art ofresilience
Yoshino Hinoki and Sugi
grown in fog-covered, rain-richforests have natural antifungal
properties and resistance tohigh humidity. As they getolder, we can enjoy a soothing
scent born from the mercy of
our ancestors, and the blessingsof nature that purify the air inthe forest. The rich in minerals
and nutrients soil covers
surface of the forest.

A highdecay
durability
wood
Hinoki is an indispensable
material in Japanese cultureof bathing. The Hinoki andits unique scent harmonizes
with the pure and simple shapeof the bathtub and can beused for a long time cover thegenerations. The magnificent
Hinoki has a pleasant texture
and harmonizes with the pureand simple forms of Japanese
wooden baths and contributes
in all the revitalizing rituals
which aim at the cleanlinessof the body and the purity ofthe spirit.

Wabi SabiYoshino Hinoki and Sugi growstronger through the repetitionof thinning. In spring, newseeds are sown, placed in aseedling nursery, and in theyear after the small trees growup, they are planted in themountains in seasonal tune
with the rhythm of nature.
In Yoshino, you can see
man-made forests that havebeen maintained for more than
three generations. Just sameas delicious wines mature overtime, each Yoshino Hinoki,
Sugi tree also humbly carves
its own aesthetics and history
using the power of nature.

Color /Grain
From inspired power fromJapan, the fascination with
Hinoki and Sugi wood,such as the color and beautyof the wood grain, has been
attractive among varioususers. This is evidenced by
the fact that Jasper Morrison,
Ivan Juarez, Kengo Kuma,
Shinichiro Ogata, Joe Gebbia,
Go Hasegawa and others
have already chosen thisunparalleled material
for their works.

Unique
Such as lightness,suppleness, surface aesthetics,
Yoshino wood has many
advantages. Moreover, it can bebent easier to adapt the various
creative demands due to fineand uniformed annual treerings and no knot. In addition,
Yoshino wood is experiencing
various forms of renaissanceby serving materials for solid
structures of shrines andtemples, chairs and furniture,
Japanese paper, a cooler box
for wine and helping
fermentation of sake.

“The Yoshino forest is just aculture that shows us Japanesearchitectural culture and people
all over the world have to learn
and cherish,”
RAMON VILLALTAof RCR Architects who won thePritzker prize 2017 said.