Journal

Arboriculture Knowledge from Japan

Field documentation, research, and insights on Japanese tree culture, tree diagnosis, garden design, urban greening, and landscape stewardship.

From Family Crest to Garden: How Kamon Plants Shaped Japanese Landscape Design

Japan Culture 2026.05.06

From Family Crest to Garden: How Kamon Plants Shaped Japanese Landscape Design

Every plant in a Japanese garden was chosen for a reason. When a paulownia tree stands at the entrance of a historic… Read Article

Japan’s Falling Trees Crisis: When the Postwar Planting Boom Reaches Its Limit

Tree Risk 2026.05.03

Japan’s Falling Trees Crisis: When the Postwar Planting Boom Reaches Its Limit

Japan’s Falling Trees Crisis: When the Postwar Planting Boom Reaches Its Limit Introduction In April 2026, an 18-meter cherry tree with a… Read Article

How to Read Tree Decay Without Technology: Japanese Field Methods

Tree Risk 2026.04.25

How to Read Tree Decay Without Technology: Japanese Field Methods

How to Read Tree Decay Without Technology: Japanese Field Methods Introduction Strike a wooden mallet against the trunk and listen. Press a… Read Article

Karikomi: The Japanese Art of Cloud Pruning Explained

Japan Culture 2026.04.21

Karikomi: The Japanese Art of Cloud Pruning Explained

Karikomi: The Japanese Art of Cloud Pruning Explained Introduction That landscape of rolling green mounds — soft domes and undulating ridges that… Read Article

Miharu Takizakura: Japan’s 1,000-Year-Old Weeping Cherry Tree

Japan Culture 2026.04.15

Miharu Takizakura: Japan’s 1,000-Year-Old Weeping Cherry Tree

In the small town of Miharu, Fukushima Prefecture, stands a single cherry tree that stops people in their tracks every spring. Miharu… Read Article

VTA vs. Jyumoku-i: Comparing Two Tree Diagnosis Systems — Western Science Meets Japanese Expertise

Tree Risk 2026.04.12

VTA vs. Jyumoku-i: Comparing Two Tree Diagnosis Systems — Western Science Meets Japanese Expertise

VTA vs. Jyumoku-i: Comparing Two Tree Diagnosis Systems — Western Science Meets Japanese Expertise Introduction How do you decide whether a tree… Read Article

Niwaki vs Topiary: What Western Gardens Get Wrong

Japan Culture 2026.04.10

Niwaki vs Topiary: What Western Gardens Get Wrong

“Cloud pruning.” “Pom-pom trees.” “Japanese-style topiary.” When I see these terms used to describe niwaki in Western garden media, I feel something… Read Article

Why Do Japan’s Ancient Trees Live for a Thousand Years?

Japan Culture 2026.04.09

Why Do Japan’s Ancient Trees Live for a Thousand Years?

Imagine standing before a tree that was already old when Rome still ruled the Western world. In Japan, this is not a… Read Article

Tokyo Street Trees: Why They Look Beautiful — and Why They’re Struggling

Urban Landscape 2026.04.08

Tokyo Street Trees: Why They Look Beautiful — and Why They’re Struggling

Tokyo Street Trees: Why They Look Beautiful — and Why They’re Struggling Introduction Walk through almost any major street in Tokyo, and… Read Article

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