Akita Cedar: A Traditional Japanese Cedar in Akita Prefecture

Forests cover 67% of Japan's land area

Akita Prefecture boasts a forest coverage rate of 72%, which is above average . It is well known for its broadleaf forests, mainly composed of beech trees , and its coniferous forests, mainly composed of Akita the Shirakami Mountains

Cedar is a tree native to Japan

Japanese cedar (Sugi) is a tree that can be seen in large numbers from southern Hokkaido to Yakushima Island (Kagoshima Prefecture). But Japanese cedar is a tree unique to Japan ? It is classified in the genus Cryptomeria, subfamily Cupressoideae, family Cupressaceae, and the genus Cryptomeria consists only of Japanese cedar (endemic species).

Some of you might be thinking, "Huh?" Himalayan cedars and Lebanese cedars are also known as common cedar trees. However, these trees are only named "cedar" in Japan because they resemble cedars, but they are actually plants belonging to the pine family

China has cedar forests where cedar trees are used for building materials and other purposes. However, these cedar trees were introduced from Japan several hundred years ago , and because they were such useful trees, they became widely cultivated.

Although there are now areas where the forest spreads out like a primeval forest, it is all artificial forest, and there are no natural cedar trees left

Cedar has been used in a variety of ways as a useful tree since ancient times

When did the Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) first appear? Currently, we know that fossils dating back 5.3 million years (late Miocene epoch) have been found in Akita, Iwate, and Yamagata prefectures, but it is thought that they may have existed even earlier

However, since the Japanese archipelago separated from the continent about 20 million years ago, these plants did not exist during the time when it was connected to the continent .

Cedar

• Soft and easy to process
• Lightweight and easy to handle
• Durable and resistant to moisture and corrosion
• It also has sufficient strength
• It has natural insect-repellent and preservative properties, making it resistant to insects
• The beautiful wood grain and fragrance have a high relaxation effect
• Excellent humidity control properties maintain an appropriate humidity level indoors

It possesses these characteristics. For this reason, it has been used for a long time in building materials, furniture, shelves (fences), tableware, barrels, and other items

Akita cedar fences and pillars discovered at building site in Akita Prefecture

In Akita Prefecture, cedar timbers for the outer fence have been unearthed from the site of Hotta-no-saku, a fort built by the Yamato court around 850 (early Heian period) as a frontline stronghold to attack the Emishi, the indigenous people of the Tohoku region.

Cedar pillars and planks have also been found at the Kurumida-tei ruins which are the remains of a building from the mid-Heian period

The Kurumikan ruins were accidentally discovered in 1961 during ground maintenance work at Takanosu Junior High School (Kitaakita City). Subsequent investigations revealed that the site was a building buried by a mudslide caused by an eruption of the Lake Towada volcano in 915

The roof of the building had been swept away by the mudslide, but miraculously, the lower part of the building remained standing

The Kurumikan Ruins are a historical site in Kitaakita City, and many of the excavated artifacts, including cedar wood, have been designated as important national cultural properties. However, the ruins have been backfilled for preservation purposes, and the storage facility for the excavated artifacts is not open to the public, so it is not possible to visit

Toyotomi Hideyoshi used Akita cedar when building Fushimi Castle

It is said that Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the one who made Akita cedar famous by using it outside of the Akita area

When Hideyoshi was building Fushimi Castle, he ordered that suitable timber be found for the castle. The one he liked best was Akita cedar. He immediately ordered the Akita clan, a powerful family that ruled the northern part of Ugo Province (present-day Akita and Yamagata prefectures) at the time, to send Akita cedar to Kyoto

Mr. Akita felled Akita cedar trees that grew naturally along the Yoneshiro River using axes and saws, and collected them by river at Noshiro Port. From Noshiro Port, the cedar was transported across the Sea of ​​Japan to Tsuruga (Fukui Prefecture) on large ships, and from Tsuruga, it was delivered to Kyoto by land transport and boat transport on Lake Biwa

The Satake Kubota clan set its sights on Akita cedar as a source of income for the clan

During the Edo period, the Satake clan became the feudal lords of the Akita region

The first lord of the domain, Satake Yoshinobu, first took notice of Akita cedar, which was gaining popularity in the Kyoto area. Records indicate that he began selling Akita cedar to other domains in 1604

was greatly influenced by the idea of ​​his chief retainer, Shibue Masamitsu, who believed "the nation's treasure is its mountains, and the decline of its mountains is synonymous with the decline of the nation."

Following Masamitsu's teachings, Yoshinobu focused on protecting forest resources while simultaneously engaging in logging

In the mid-Edo period, the natural cedar forests were devastated by excessive logging

Later, with the prosperity of the Edo shogunate, Akita cedar became extremely popular in Edo, and logging became the priority in order to keep up with the demand.

The Akita domain's finances prospered, but this also led to a continuous increase in the domain's population, resulting in increased consumption of housing, firewood, charcoal, and other goods within the domain. As a result, by the late 1600s, almost all of the natural cedar trees in accessible areas had been cut down, leaving fewer goods available for sale

As the Kubota domain's income from timber decreased, they focused their efforts on developing mines for silver, copper, and lead located in the upper reaches of the Yoneshiro River tributaries

the Ani Mine (Kitaakita City) and the Daira Mine (Fujisato Town) made a significant contribution to the domain's finances. However, the construction of the mines required the consumption of large quantities of timber for frames and fires, leading to further deforestation that eventually reached its limit.

The Kubota domain, feeling a sense of crisis, put forward a policy of forest protection and cultivation, but it took decades for cedar trees to grow, so the measures did not have an immediate effect

For Akita cedar, the dark ages continued until the late 1700s

Yoshikazu Satake, the 9th lord of the Kubota domain, who saved the Akita cedar

In 1785, the 8th lord of the domain, Satake Yoshiatsu, died suddenly, and his successor was Satake Yoshimasa

Witnessing the dilapidated state of Akita cedar trees, he believed that even if it wasn't during his lifetime, it would surely become a national treasure in the future. He investigated the causes of the forest's deterioration and advocated for the necessity of reforestation

cultural reforms as deciding to return 70% of the profits from the sale of cedar trees planted by the residents to the residents (previously, the profits were split equally between the residents and the feudal lord) , thereby encouraging residents to willingly plant trees.

Yoshihide clan, named Kato Keirin, played a significant role in this forest reform

Keirin ventured deep into the mountains, places where officials normally wouldn't set foot, and thoroughly inspected the forests within the domain. Based on that experience, he formulated reform plans, and the number of cedar trees they planted reached 2.5 million

is known as the "father of Akita cedar" for establishing the foundation of "Akita's beautiful forests."

Yoshikazu Satake founded the Meitokukan domain school and asked Masumi Sugae to compile the "Masumi Sugae Travelogue."

Yoshikazu became the lord of the domain at the age of 11 and passed away at the age of 41, but during that time he also devoted himself to academics

He founded the domain school, Meitokukan, and produced many talented individuals through an education that emphasized individuality

bore fruit as Sugae Masumi's Travelogue, which was presented to the Meitokukan

"Sugae Masumi's Travelogue" has been carefully preserved at the Meitokukan, and the travelogue, along with the colorful illustrations depicting the scenery, customs, and events of the time, is an extremely valuable resource for understanding the Edo period. "Sugae Masumi's Travelogue" is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property .

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

[Part 1] Masumi Sugae's Walk through the Oga Peninsula - Kanpuzan and Honzan, a sacred mountain [Akita Prefecture]　

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/36741

Sugae Masumi (1754-1829) was a travel writer of the Edo period who traveled mainly to northern Japan and Hokkaido, leaving behind written accounts of the scenery, the lives and customs of the people, accompanied by colorful illustrations. He arrived in Akita at the age of 48 and continued to travel the entire region until his death at the age of 76, leaving behind a legacy of writings. He is also known as Japan's first folklorist, and his book "Sugae Masumi Travelogue," which was presented at the Akita Prefecture domain school, Meitokukan, has been designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Sugae Masumi left behind five volumes of travelogues of the Oga Peninsula known as "The Five Winds of Oga." ©Akita Prefectural Museum. When Sugae Masumi set foot on the Oga Peninsula...

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Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

[Part 2] Masumi Sugae's Walk around the Oga Peninsula - Fascinated by the strange rock formations along the coast [Akita Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/36715

Based on the Edo period travel journal "Oga Gofu" by Sugae Masumi (1754-1829), this second installment of "Tracing the Oga Peninsula as Sugae Masumi Walked" compares the Edo period and the present day. The book continues Sugae's journey around the Oga Peninsula, covering the northern coast in "Oga no Harukaze" and the west coast in "Oga no Suzukaze" and "Oga no Shimakaze." This article references manuscripts held by the Akita Prefectural Museum, the National Archives of Japan, and the National Diet Library, as well as a modern translation published in 2000. Unless otherwise noted, dates from the Edo period are those recorded by Masumi (using the lunar calendar). Reference: Akita Prefectural Museum, Sugae...

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Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

[Part 3] Masumi Sugae's walk through the Oga Peninsula - hit by a major earthquake [Akita Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/36506

Based on "Oga no Gofu" (The Five Winds of Oga), a travelogue by Edo period traveler Sugae Masumi (1754-1829), this series compares the Edo period with the present day. This third installment of "Tracing the Oga Peninsula as Sugae Masumi Walked" examines the final volume of Sugae Masumi's Oga Travelogue, "Oga no Kanfu," which begins on July 18, 1810. In "Oga no Kanfu," Sugae details his feelings upon encountering a historic earthquake and the devastation he experienced around him. This article will be written with reference to manuscripts from the Akita Prefectural Museum, the National Archives of Japan, the National Diet Library, and a modern Japanese translation published in 2000. Dates from the Edo period are based on the Oga Peninsula, unless otherwise noted...

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Even after the Meiji period, demand for Akita cedar remained high, and reckless logging continued

Although the Akita cedar trees were diligently restored and revived by the feudal lords, primarily led by Yoshiwa, after the Meiji Restoration, most of them became national forests and were managed by the government

Even after the Meiji Restoration, the demand for Akita cedar remained high. Particularly during the period of rapid modernization in Japan, amidst a series of wars including the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1985), the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), and World War I (1914-1918), large-scale logging continued, mainly in the planted forests that had grown into magnificent trees during the Edo period

In 1945, many major cities were reduced to rubble by massive air raids carried out by the Allied forces, primarily the United States, and after the war, the region was preoccupied with reconstruction. The demand for timber reached its peak, and not only were natural cedar trees in Akita cut down, but even forests that had been protected as conservation forests were felled

The site was then replanted with cedar trees, creating a large-scale artificial cedar forest .

At the end of the 20th century, the government finally began to protect Akita cedars

The government, having determined that the demand for timber will continue for 40 to 50 years, will plant fast-growing Japanese cedar trees in forests across the country

At that time, because broad-leaved trees grow slowly, even mixed forests containing broad-leaved trees such as oak and beech were cut down and transformed into cedar forests

However, things were fine when demand for domestically produced timber was high, but in the 1990s, timber imports were liberalized, and demand for cedar decreased. Furthermore, prices plummeted, leading to the worst possible outcome

As a result, the number of people involved in forestry has drastically decreased. Many of the cedar forests that had grown into magnificent trees 40 years after planting were left neglected and unattended

This is said to have led to the current widespread prevalence of hay fever

Even amidst these circumstances, the demand for Akita cedar remained relatively high compared to other types of cedar, and natural cedar in particular was given priority for commercialization

It wasn't until 1997 that the government finally realized this was a problem and began protecting the natural cedar trees

First, the plan to log natural cedar trees was canceled, and management shifted to prioritize conservation. Currently, logging of natural cedar trees is prohibited in principle for Akita cedar , and only artificial forests with trees aged 80 to 100 years, planted since the Meiji era, are available for sale.

A new variety of cedar tree with less than half the amount of pollen has been developed in Akita Prefecture

On the other hand, research into cedar trees that do not produce pollen is also beginning to progress.

In 2019, two new varieties of Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica) were developed in Akita Prefecture that produce less than half the amount of pollen compared to other varieties. The varieties were developed by the Resource Utilization Department of the Akita Prefectural Forestry Research and Training Center, and the seeds will be available for sale starting in 2025 (Reiwa 7).

The Tohoku Regional Forest Office is also promoting the planting of cedar trees that produce less pollen, and is conducting research on pollen-free cedar trees. In a few decades, we may live in an era where we no longer suffer from cedar pollen allergies.

• Reference link: Japan Association for the Promotion of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries and Food Industry Technology – [PDF] A new next-generation Akita cedar variety that is large, strong, and produces less pollen

NORIJUN

My love of travel led me to work for a travel magazine some time ago, and now I work as a travel writer for an online publication. I have visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, focusing on the Tohoku region, and I enjoy soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture, including old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts