Ancient Japanese Forestry Technique Produces Lumber Without Cutting Down Trees

The Japanese cedar trees can be pruned so that they produce lumber faster than the standard cedar, and without having to cut down any trees.

Arborists developed a method to grow trees faster on tops of trees that were already in existence in response to Japan’s lumber shortage.

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The lack of suitable land and a shortage of saplings led to the development of a new method for raising lumber.

It is called daisugi. It works in a similar way to bonsai, but on larger trees.

They heavily pruned cedar trees instead of cutting them down, leaving only the straight-up branches.

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These vertical shoots look almost like new trees and are tall. The result is straight, uniform, knotless lumber that is twice the strength and 140% more flexible than standard cedar.

It is denser than regular cedar trees and matures much quicker — in fact, it takes only 20 years.

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Daisugi reduces the need to plant lumber and preserves old-growth trees while producing better lumber more quickly.

It’s a win-win situation for both the environment and the lumber sector.

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