In Keihoku, Tsutsumi and his Perspective co-founder
Sachiko Matsuyama work with a veteran lumberjack to pick the best spot for their tree-planting venture.
If all goes well and more saplings can be planted, lacquer resin could be harvested from the area in 15 years. For now, it’s a small-scale experiment that Tsutsumi and Matsuyama are looking to expand into what they call
kogei no mori (“Forest of Craft”) – a woodland area that supports local artisans while doubling as a place for people to learn about the forest-to-product cycle. There’s a lot to do; finding the best spot to plant groves; looking after the trees; protecting the saplings from being trampled or eaten by animals; and organizing educational field trips. “They have a dream for the forests here,” says Takayuki Minami, a senior official at Kyoto’s Keihoku Agriculture and Forestry Promotion Center, which oversees 268 hectares (662 acres) of forestland. “We have high expectations that their project