NIPPON Kichi - 日本吉

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2007/5/31


大美輪の大杉 Ominowa-no-oosugi The Big Cedars of Omiwa

Jp En

The Big Cedars of Omiwa are located in Tamozawa, Kanayama Town, Mogami County, Yamagata prefecture. They were originally planted for lumber.

The cedars, up to 128, are some of the biggest cultivated trees of their kind in Japan. They were first planted as saplings back in the Edo period, probably in 1764, making them about 230 years old.

Mogami district has much snow in winter. In May 2006, there was such a heavy snowfall that six trees were bent by the weight of snow. As a result, these six trees, all of them over 250 years old, were cut down.

To see such enormous trees felled was overwhelming, particularly because two of the trees were 50m tall with trunks 80cm in circumference. Their immensity was a living demonstration of history.
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2007/2/28


ひたち竹人形 Hitachi-take-ningyou Hitachi Bamboo Dolls

Jp En

Ibaraki Prefecture has long been famous for its bamboo, ever since the 2nd lord of the Mito Domain, Tokugawa Mitsukuni (Mito Komon), first began to protect and encourage their cultivation.

Hitachi bamboo dolls are handmade from high-quality bamboo such as Japanese timber bamboo, as well as 'moso', 'monchiku', 'kurochiku, 'toratake', 'susutake' and 'gomatake' bamboo.

These dolls are made from bamboo that has been naturally dried over 2~3 years and is oil-free. Each part of the doll is made from bamboo and pieced together using bamboo nails. Colors and patterns are then painted on the carved and sculpted surface of the bamboo.

Usually the dolls are based on figures in Noh and Kabuki drama and are very elaborate. There are also dolls that depict local characters, such as the Komon and Umemusume dolls. Lovely animal figures for each year of the Chinese zodiac are also carved from bamboo using the same technique as the dolls.
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2007/1/10


北山丸太 Kitayamamaruta Kitayama Log

Jp En

The kitayama tree is one of the most common sources of timber used in making Japanese 'sukiya' houses. It is a representative Japanese cedar, and is forested in Nakagawa district, Rakuhoku, Kyoto.

Wood from the kitayama tree is characterised by its brilliant, smooth surface. Besides its color, the wood will not discolor nor warp. This is why it is beloved by architects, tea masters and intellectuals.

The first kitayama plantations were cultivated in the Muromachi period, 600 years ago, and began to be used increasingly in the tea ceremony.

The foresters put great efforts into keeping the cedar undamaged. All the production processes, from choice of saplings, to cultivation, pruning, trimming and grass-cutting, are done manually with great care and precision. Thanks to the endeavors of its pioneers, the kiyatama lumber industry continues to flourish to this day.
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NIPPON Kichi - 日本吉 - 日本語に切り替える NIPPON Kichi - 日本吉 - to english

"Nippon-kichi" leads you to places, people and things that reveal a certain Japanese aesthetic.

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