Chapter VIII. Supply Diminished, Dangers Increased
Following the end of World War II, around 1949, the mountain collecting
of Shimpaku junipers resumed. Although there were no guarantees that Shimpaku
collected after the war would sell for the pre-war prices, there were still
good specimens to be collected. However, collecting from Mt. Myouji required
entering into a contract with the public office of the village and was limited
to the time from when the snows thawed in the spring until the Myouji festival.
The collection period was limited because of the many accidents that resulted
from sliding down the mountain in the harsh winter and from avalanches in
early spring. As a result, there were very few people whose sole subsistence
depended on collecting trees from the mountains.
By around 1955, the Shimpaku worth collecting had dwindled to only a few. Those previously passed over for poor quality were now being collected. And yet, as the bonsai world began to revive, the popularity of Shimpaku came back. By 1975, there were more than 10 mountain collectors and in 1979, the Itoigawa Collectors’ Union was organized. This organization paid a fee for permission to enter the mountains to the Kotaki Production and Forest Union and members were allowed to enter between April 12 and June 15.
The leader of the collectors’ union, Tetsuya Nakamura, began to emphasize safety as a priority. When Kindai Bonsai gathered information for an article on Itoigawa Shimpaku for the November 1985 issue, Mr. Nakamura indicated that he took great care to see that collectors were not injured. According to Hajime Umesawa (the Himekawa-en Garden) who was Mr. Nakamura’s friend, "He was sensible and cautious. Since he was such a cautious person, he would knock on the stone of a stone bridge to test it for its durability, and a result there were few accidents and other mountain collectors had confidence in him."
Photo left: Shinichi Nakamura (left) and Tetsuya Nakamura (right).
Photo right: Tetsuya Nakamura
Another active collector at that time was Shinichi Nakamura. As Mr. Umewasa recalled, "He was the sort of person who could easily walk around where others had to crawl on all fours. Because he was a lot older than Tetsuya, I advised him that the time had come to retire every chance I had. But every time he answered, 'What nonsense! I would be the luckiest man if I could die in the mountain. I’ve already decided that the mountains are the place where I shall die.'" It was as though he were possessed by something. Although both Shinichi and Tetsuya had the family name of Nakamura, they were unrelated. Together they successfully hunted the last masterpiece, "Hiryu" (Flying Dragon), which was also called God’s Tree through a magnificent close teamwork.
Although mountain collectors were minimally outfitted, a helmet was deemed an essential piece of gear. This was partially due to the number of collectors who had the confidence to attempt climbing at Mt. Myouji, which increased the danger from falling rocks. Even small stones could cause serious injuries if it hit climbers in its path. Other than Hiryu, most of the specimens collected at this time had small to medium-sized trunks. Collectors would carry in their backpacks one or two trees of these sizes at a time, and only larger specimens were tied to the Shoiko (wooden rack to carry a load on the back) for transport down the mountain.
As the trees were collected, they were put up for auction the very same day. The bases of each of the trucks were tied with grasses, so the condition of the roots could not be determined. Even so, there seemed to be a tacit understanding among bidders not to ask about the condition of the roots. Prices varied but the revenue generated during the three-month period when collecting was allowed was obviously not enough, and most collections had other jobs to supplement the earnings they made from collecting Shimpaku. Considering the fees that had to be paid and the dangerous nature of the work, it was not the kind of job for those with little determination.
Even Tetsuya Nakamure retired once in 1983. Just four years later, in the spring of 1987, he fell to his death on Mt. Myouji. On May 4 of that year, he had prayed to God at his household shrine as usual, and went to the mountain with his Eisen (a device with claws to put over boots to prevent slipping on ice). There was still snow in the sunken areas of the rocks. "He changed to a new Eisen with which he was unaccustomed, and I believe that’s why the accident happened," said Mr. Umesawa.
Southeastern wall of Mt. Myouji.
About four weeks later, on June 4, 1987, Mr. Yamanakajima of Kaitani, also a mountain collector, was killed in an accident. "It was a terrible year," Mr. Umesawa recalled. And then, in 1998, the last mountain collector, Shinichi Nakamura, died in the mountains. Mr. Umewasa merely remarked: "That was his destiny." Concerning the circumstances of Shinichi’s death, the Itoigawa police office stated that they kept the death records of suicides for only a short time.
Only a decade ago there were still some cases of illegal hunting of the trees, but not anymore. Today there are only the thefts of bonsai. The history of the mountain collecting of Itoigawa Shimpaku thus ended simultaneously with the death of Shinichi Nakamura and the disappearance of Shimpaku from the mountains.
It is estimated that perhaps as many as 20 to 30 people died collecting Shimpaku, but those numbers do not take into account those who entered the mountains secretly and were never heard from again. In a sense, Itoigawa Shimpaku which were collected from the mountains are living now as a tribute to those who collected them and are now gone forever.