NEWS
🤝 When in Doubt, Choose the Interesting Path — The People and Pine Craft of Ohtsu Shorakuen 🌿
2026/05/29
At Ohtsu Shorakuen, we have a phrase we hold close:
"When in doubt, choose the interesting path."
When facing a difficult choice in our work, we leap toward what excites us, toward what feels interesting. This is the way of thinking our representative, Tsuyoshi Ohtsu, holds dear each day 🌿
Each Tree Is Different — A Dialogue with Black Pine
Founded in the early Showa era, our work has been carried on through four generations. We protect "Mizuma's black pine" while also taking in new techniques and ideas 🌲
Every black pine has its own individuality, and what we rely on is the branch-tip craft passed down through generations. With the subtle pressure of the hand as a branch is bent, and the faint sounds the pine sends back, we shape each tree into its best possible form.
OneTeam — Pursuing the Beauty of Black Pine Together
Pruning, lifting, root-wrapping, root-washing, transport, replanting — the many stages of shaping a single pine are carried out by our craftsmen as one team ✨
Among our craftsmen is one who used to work in a factory. "Outdoor work? Never," he had thought 🌲 But once he tried it, he found it surprisingly enjoyable — a sense of accomplishment he had never felt at the factory.
Another came to the world of pine from electrical work. With colleagues ranging from their 20s to their 40s, the workplace has a warmth like family 🌿
Delivering "Something Interesting" Through Pine
"Sometimes we choose the difficult path, but we believe that path leads to new discoveries and growth." 🌲
"Through the pines we raise, we hope to deliver something interesting to all of you." — A message from our representative ✨
In Mizuma, Kurume City — one of Japan's three great producing regions for garden trees — Ohtsu Shorakuen has cared for "Mizuma's black pine" across four generations 🌏
Holding the spirit of "when in doubt, choose the interesting path" close, we will continue to stand with each and every pine 🌿