Chapter VII. Drama of Itoigawa Shimpaku
The junipers referred to as Itoigawa Shimpaku up until now in this article
were not called by this name when collecting first began. Before World War
II, they were called "Jyouetsu" Shimpaku. They later became known
as Itoigawa Shimpaku because they were bought and sold at the Jikishi-in
Temple or the Kiraku barbershop in Itoigawa.
Mt. Kurohime was a part of the town named Oumi-cho and Mt Myouji was a part of the Otaki-mura village (in the old zoning). In fact, it was not only these two mountains where Shimpaku grew. Shimpaku also grew in great quantities in the depth of the Kurobe Canyon to the west, in the mountains surrounding Kaitani and Togakushi to the east, in the Hakuba mountain range to the south, and along the coast of Sado Island to the north, The Shimpaku from all these areas became known as Itoigawa Shimpaku. "Noble Satake’s Shimpaku" introduced at the beginning of this article is known to have been collected from Kaitani. The Kaitani lineage has soft needles.
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| Varieties of Itoigawa shimpaku collected near the Itoigawa
river: 1. Sado coast line lineage, 2. Kurohime and Myouji lineage, 3. Kaitani lineage, 4. Uozu lineage, 5. Renpaku lineage, and 6. Togakushi lineage |
Those trees collected from the depth of the Kurobe Canyon (called "Uozu Shimpaku") are said to be as good as that of Myouji in terms of the quality of their leaves and the artistic value of their trunks. (The Kurobe Gorge is the deepest gorge in Japan, extending for 80 kilometers, or 50 miles. Its peaks plunge some 1,500 to 2,000 meters, or 4,921 to 6,562 feet, to the bottom. For more information, see jin.jcic.or.jp/atlas/nature/nat05.html) On the other hand, those trees coming from the Korenga-dake high mountain of the Shirouma mountain range are called "Renpaku," whose leaves have a coarse texture and a whitish color. Although Itoigawa Shimpaku characteristically have good texture of leaves, there is no uniformity. There are only a few specimens having all the characteristics sought -- the best color, dense foliage, and thinness.
There is a difference between the Itoigawa Shimpaku and Shikoku Shimpaku regarding the artistry of their trunks. Generally, Shikoku Shimpaku has a trunk that reflects calmness with a well-tamed shape, which is appreciated because of the simple yet profound shapes. There are not many large Shikoku Shimpaku, but they are very attractive in pots. On the other hand, Itoigawa Shimpaku has powerful movement in their trunks and magnificent Shari, and many extra-large specimen exist.
The discovery of Itoigawa Shimpaku totally revolutionized the way bonsai enthusiasts have come to think of Shimpaku. After they appeared on the scene, the Shari of the Itoigawa Shimpaku, which had not previously been much appreciated on the ShimpakuI from Shikoku, became one their most admired features. Bonsai lovers were fascinated by the marvelous shapes created by nature, and collectors were absorbed in looking for new rare specimens.
click for larger image
Masterpiece Itoigawa Shimpaku during its Golden Age
By around 1930, almost all the good Itoigawa Shimpaku in easily accessible
areas seemed to be gone. The trees previously collected had been located
in terrace areas or on gentle slopes. Even getting to these specimens involved
difficult vertical climbs, and clearly one missed step could cost a hunter
his life. Every morning before embarking on their hunting trips, brothers
Tahei and Fukuji Suzuki said prayers at their household Shinto alter, and
thanked God upon their return.
The best earner during the Taisho period (1912~) and the earlier years of the Showa period (1926~) was Kumeji Ito, a native of Kotaki who assisted the Suzuki brothers in earlier times and was a gifted climber. Kumeji would often go down cliff walls that had no foothold. He collected specimens by crushing rocks with a chisel and a hammer, then digging out a tiny amount of the roots, and cutting out the thick roots with a saw.
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| Kumeji Ito collecting from rope (before WWII). |
As the materials became scare, the Shimpaku prices climbed. One Shimpaku that Fukuji Suzuki collected in the late 1920s was sold for ¥3,000. With the money from the sale, Fukuji build a mansion made entirely of Hinoki cypress and had it painted with lacquer. Until around 1937 at the outbreak of the Japan-China War, the market price of Shimpaku continued to appreciate. The increasing value of Shimpaku caused many to seek them out.
But by the late 1930s, the easy-to-reach specimens had already been collected. Many attempting to reach the remaining Shimpaku were careless, resulting in countless climbing accidents. Nevertheless, the tragedy of these accidents tended to increase each year because the wealthy families living in Tokyo and other areas were willing to pay the asking price no matter how high.
Shimpaku hunting in the snow (before WWII).
All collecting ceased when World War II broke out. Tahei Suzuki left his house in Shimizukura and returned to his native home on Shikoku. Having reached his mid-70s, he decided to stop hunting Shimpaku and, according to those who visited his home during his later years, he kept only a few bonsai. He and his brother, Fukuji had grabbed the luck that had been bestowed upon them; they both had enjoyed a long life of mountain collecting, and died on Tatami mats.