I still remember...

sideways

out of a rock

upside down in a freakin LAKE 

 out of an Indiana courthouse

out of ANOTHER

GODDAMN

TREE

By allowing only the straightest shoots to grow, Daisugi (a form of coppicing) relies on the tree’s ability for continuous growth to maximize the amount of wood per tree. 

Through careful cyclic hand-pruning, the shoots were kept straight and free of knots, making them useful as pillars in Sukiya-zukuri houses (an architectural style characterized by use of natural materials, which would be popular throughout the Edo Period). 

As demand for Kitayama cedar waned, so did the use of Daisuigi, which is now mainly valued for its visual appeal and historic significance. It’s still being used in some commercial projects though, which is good because it’s an example of humans using sustainable woodland management to get materials from their local lands while keeping them healthy, and available to future generations. 

Ecologically mindful agriculture techniques like these allow humans to take what they need from the land without exploiting it–now more than ever is the time to encourage and preserve this mindset!

and here are some of the houses that would have been built with such trees:

Daisugi!