Did you know that Japan produces lumber without cutting down trees? It is the ancient Daisugi technique

The Japan it is a country of centuries-old traditions that never ceases to surprise and inspire in the search for perfection. One of its traditions since the 14th century is the Daisugia forestry technique that allows you to obtain wood without completely cutting down the tree.

The origins of Daisugi

Daisugi (台杉) is an ancient Japanese technique born in the 14th century that allows you to obtain wood without cutting down trees, an extraordinary example of sustainability and innovation.

This practice originated in Kitayama, a small mountain village near Kyoto. The steep mountains in the area, full of rocks and lacking space to plant new trees, posed a challenge for the inhabitants who needed high-quality wood, mainly used to build teahouses and traditional buildings. It was in this context that Daisugi was developed, an ingenious solution to overcome the scarcity of raw materials.

The technique consists in precisely pruning the lower and lateral branches of the trees, leaving only the upper ones to grow. These branches become new trunks, perfectly straight and free of imperfections, transforming the tree into a sort of wooden “farm”. Each cedar tree can produce up to 100 trunks at one time, which are harvested approximately every 20 years, ensuring continuous production without compromising the health of the mother tree, which can live for centuries.

The cedars are pruned by hand with great delicacy and attention every two years, leaving only the upper branches from which new branches will sprout very straight upwards. To the naked eye, when using this technique, it appears that cedars have grown on top of other cedars.

These new shoots grow into perfectly uniform, straight and completely knot-free wood, i.e. ideal wood. From a single tree they can up to a hundred shoots emerge at a timewhich produce wood for 200-300 years before running out.

In addition to its practical usefulness, Daisugi is today a precious decorative element in Japanese gardens, where trees modeled according to this technique symbolize the harmony between man and nature. This tradition, still practiced in Kitayama, continues to inspire as an example of respect for the environment and ingenuity in resource management.

The wood obtained with this technique is 40% more flexible and twice as resistant

The method was originally invented by the inhabitants of the Kitayama region around the year 1300 to solve the problem of raw material scarcity. At that time, a form of sukiya-zukuri architecture was in vogue, which he used a very straight and stylized woodbut there wasn’t enough to build these houses for everyone.

There is little flat land in that region, so planting and growing trees on the steep slopes was extremely difficult. The Daisugi technique proposed to reduce the number of plants, speed up the harvest cycle and produce denser wood.

As always happens, fashions pass and over the years the demand for wood produced with this technique has decreased considerably. But they didn’t disappear completely, because they were found other uses. The wood obtained with this technique is 40% more flexible and twice as resistant than that of normal cedar.

Furthermore, its straight shape makes it a material perfect for beams and ceilings which must be aesthetic and resistant. Its consumption has increased in areas often affected by typhoons. Aesthetics have also been crucial to the survival of the Daisugi. Trees pruned with this technique acquire a very particular and attractive shape and become allies for home decoration, which increases their demand in ornamental gardens.

A model to follow

In recent years, Daisugi has attracted international attention as a virtuous example of sustainable forest management. In an era in which the fight against deforestation has become a global priority, this Japanese technique presents itself as a model to follow. Several environmental organizations are studying the method to adapt it to different tree species and different climate contexts, showing how tradition can contribute to innovative solutions for sustainability. Daisugi is not just an agricultural practice: it is a bridge between past and future, capable of combining ancient knowledge with the contemporary needs of environmental conservation.

A lesser-known but fascinating aspect is the cultural impact of Daisugi on the perception of the Japanese landscape. Trees pruned according to this technique are not only a source of quality wood, but represent a symbol of balance and harmony with nature. Their unique silhouette is often associated with Zen philosophy, which emphasizes respect for simplicity and natural beauty. Some temples and traditional gardens in Japan use Daisugi trees as decorative elements, transforming them into living works of art that draw attention to how precious the relationship between humans and nature is.