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Writer's picture三重県剪定伐採お庭のお手入れ専門店 剪定屋空

The World of Komo-Maki, the Fruition of Traditional Beauty and Wisdom in Japanese Gardens

Straw wrapping was done on a pine tree at Onoe Villa in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.



The World of Komo-Maki, the Fruition of Traditional Beauty and Wisdom in Japanese Gardens


Komomaki, a traditional technique combining deep cultural significance and technical sophistication, is a wintertime tradition in Japanese gardens with a history of more than 400 years. Developed in daimyo's gardens since the early Edo period (1603-1868), this technique has been part of the “cultural landscape,” where the practical purpose of protecting pine trees and the uniquely Japanese aesthetic sense are in perfect harmony.



Japanese Gardens

The technical feature of straw wrapping is the unique technique of wrapping “straw” made of carefully woven rice straw around the trunk of a pine tree. The skillful technique of loosening the straw at the top and tightening it tightly at the bottom is a crystallization of wisdom that takes advantage of the behavioral patterns of the pests. In particular, the method has been widely recognized for its significance as an effective pest control measure in the past, particularly because it focuses on the habit of pine karaha (pine dead leaf beetle) larvae to descend tree trunks in winter, creating an environment in the straw that facilitates their trapping.



This idea of skillfully utilizing nature is symbolic of the philosophy of “symbiosis with nature” possessed by Japanese gardens.



Komo-Maki

We have installed Komomaki on three black pines this time, and on one of the pines we made a plum knot, which we hope will bring a smile to the faces of visitors.


Furthermore, the straw-mowing is done during the period from “Risshu (the first day of winter)” to “Keiji (the first day of the second month of the year),” which is one of the 24 solar terms, and brings a unique atmosphere to the garden in winter. The Komomaki pine trees standing in the snow-covered garden create a subtle color contrast between the pale golden straw and evergreen pine needles, emphasizing the changing of the seasons and the beauty contained within nature. Such scenery stimulates the senses of visitors and embodies a traditional “aesthetic space” rooted in the Japanese sense of the seasons.


Meanwhile, recent scientific investigations have shed new light on the ecological impact of straw mats. Research at Himeji Castle has shown that many of the organisms that congregate inside the straw mats are actually beneficial insects such as spiders and turtles, which function as “ecosystem defenders” that prey on harmful insects.



Meanwhile, recent scientific investigations have shed new light on the ecological impact of straw mats. Research at Himeji Castle has shown that many of the organisms that congregate inside the straw mats are actually beneficial insects such as spiders and turtles, which function as “ecosystem defenders” that prey on harmful insects.


In other words, straw-rolling is not just a pest control method, but also a “biodiversity conservation measure” that creates a safe overwintering habitat for beneficial insects. This finding suggests that human intervention can bring about ecological harmony by skillfully incorporating the predator-prey relationship in the natural world.


This perspective also speaks to the process of constant interaction, adaptation, and co-evolution within ecosystems as described by Darwin's theory of evolution. The small habitat space provided by straw mats can strengthen the interrelationships among organisms in a garden and, in the long run, can help support a sustainable environmental balance.


In response to these findings, some gardens are rethinking traditional practices. In addition to traditional pest control, straw mats are being re-evaluated as part of biodiversity conservation, as a measure to prevent frost and snow damage, as an ecological monitor for overwintering beneficial insects, and as an indicator of habitat change due to climate change. As a result, Komo-rolls are being reevaluated from a mere element of the winter landscape to a part of an ecological network, and their multifaceted value is being discovered.


In addition, as modern society searches for ways to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and design landscapes in harmony with nature, Komomaki is being reevaluated as an environmentally harmonious horticultural technique that has been passed down from generation to generation. Its potential to promote natural pest control by natural enemies and reduce pesticide use by providing a space for beneficial insects to overwinter is of great interest from the perspective of contemporary environmental ethics and sustainability. While rooted in a deep spatio-temporal context, Komomaki shows a flexible transformation in response to today's challenges, offering us hints for building a better symbiotic relationship between man and nature.




I am glad that we, as landscape architects, can continue to preserve this culture and manage the gardens, and that we can further increase the number of people interested in the garden from various perspectives.    In Arne Naess's concept of “deep ecology,” humans are not to exploit ecosystems exploitatively, but to treat them as fellow human beings who recognize their intrinsic value.    Thus, while expanding and transforming its role and value with the changing times, Komomaki continues to exist as an important cultural heritage that keeps the spirit of “coexistence with nature,” which is at the core of Japanese garden culture, alive in the present day. The appearance of these gardens is a part of sustainable landscape management, which passes on “environmental knowledge,” a complex interweaving of history, landscape, and ecology, and weaves it into the future.

I am glad that we, as landscape architects, can continue to preserve this culture and manage the gardens, and that we can further increase the number of people interested in the garden from various perspectives.


In Arne Naess's concept of “deep ecology,” humans are not to exploit ecosystems exploitatively, but to treat them as fellow human beings who recognize their intrinsic value.


Thus, while expanding and transforming its role and value with the changing times, Komomaki continues to exist as an important cultural heritage that keeps the spirit of “coexistence with nature,” which is at the core of Japanese garden culture, alive in the present day. The appearance of these gardens is a part of sustainable landscape management, which passes on “environmental knowledge,” a complex interweaving of history, landscape, and ecology, and weaves it into the future.

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