NEWS

🌲 Black Pine and Red Pine — "Otoko-matsu" and "Onna-matsu," A Tale of Two Pines 🌿

Black pine is a tree loved not only in Japan but around the world, in Japanese gardens and in bonsai 🌳 At Ohtsu Shorakuen, alongside our central focus on "Mizuma's black pine," we also cultivate red pine, five-needle pine, and Japanese maki pine. The two most familiar pines — black pine and red pine — are also called "the male pine" and "the female pine" ✨

Black Pine (Kuromatsu) — the Male Pine

The black pine is recognised by its dark, almost black bark and its powerfully spreading branches 🌳 It is also called "otoko-matsu" — the male pine. Its life force is strong, and as a tree symbolising long life and prosperity, it is deeply loved as a tree for bonsai and for gardens.

Red Pine (Akamatsu) — the Female Pine

The red pine is recognised by its thin bark that flakes easily, its reddish surface, and the red flowers that bloom on it 🍂 Unlike the black pine, its needles are soft to the touch and not prickly. From this, it has also been called "onna-matsu" or "memmatsu" — the female pine.

Standing With the Individuality of Each Tree

Each black pine has its own individual character 🌿 Sometimes a tree grows more beautifully than expected, and sometimes things do not go as we had hoped. With this in mind, day by day we tend to each tree with care, one at a time, picturing the form it will take in the future.

The Skill and Spirit of Mizuma

What we cherish is the branch-tip craft passed down through generations from our predecessors 🌲 Relying on the subtle pressure of the hand as a branch is bent, and on the faint sounds the pine sends back, we shape each tree into its best possible form. "Never push a tree beyond its limits" — this is the principle we hold most dear. Kurume City is one of Japan's three great producing regions for garden trees. With a history of more than one hundred years in this area, "Mizuma's black pine" has earned a high national reputation for its beauty and quality.

We will continue to share the beauty of "Mizuma's black pine," kept and refined across four generations 🌏✨