Yukizuri – 雪吊り

Hamarikyu garden

When visiting Japanese gardens in winter, one will recognize some strange ropes and mats around the pine trees and some other plants.
These are called Yukizuri 雪吊り　and Fuyugakui 冬囲い. Both are meant to protect the trees from the weight of snow.

In Tokyo there is seldom so much snow, that the trees need this protection, but it is done nonetheless as an ornamental feature in the winterly garden.

I haven’t done Yukizuri or Fuyugakui by myself, but I thought it might be interesting to write about it and explain it as far as I can.

My research shows that Yukizuri came to Japan together with appletrees. When the apples got too heavy for the branches, they tied the branches up to a pole.
This method, called Ringozuri　リンゴ吊り, was transfered to pines and the protection from snow.

There are three main styles of Yukizuri: Hokubushiki　北部式, Nanbushiki　南部式 and Kenrokuenshiki　兼六園式. As the name says, the last one is famous for Kenrokuen garden in Kanazawa prefecture.
However, there are still some more used today.

Every year at the 1st of November the gardeners of Kenrokuen start to built Yukizuri.
They start with the huge pine, called Karasakimatsu, which is around 9 m of height. The gardeners use one pillar for each branch, which are about 16 m high. The ropes they use (Aranawa, Waranawa – two different kinds of strawropes) have a diameter of 6 or 8mm and they use up to 200 at each tree. Overall there are about 800 ropes used for this famous pine.
The five gardeners are working at Yukizuri until the middle of December.
All snow protection will be removed until the 15th of March. This marks the end of the snow season.

You can find the other two methods, Hokubushiki and Nanbushiki in Kyu-Furukawa teien in Tokyo.
They are written with the Kanji for North (hoku) and South (nan) and can be roughly translated to “northern method” and “southern method”.

For Hokubushiki, ropes are tied to a ring of bamboo, which sits at the lowest branches of the pine. The branches are connected to the bamboo ring through bamboo culms.

At the top of the construction you will find a decoration of “wara” straw.
This method is used in the North, because it is the most supportive version of Yukizuri.

The Kansenen, a by no means special garden in Tokyo’s Shinjuku, provides a step-by-step guide for their Yukizuri on their website. It is very informative.
klick here (japanese only)
They use a mixture of Hokubushiki and Nanbushiki style. The decoration on the top is Nanbushiki-style.

The main difference between Nanbushiki and Hokubushiki is, that instead of a bamboo ring, Shuronawa is used. Shuronawa is the famous Japanese black rope, which is used to decorate bamboo fences.
While the bamboo ring runs around the pine on its outside, the Shuranawa is “inside” the lowest branches.
At the top of Nanbushiki is a decoration of weaved rope, which is also used for the actual Yukizuri. It’s the same material used for making Tatami.

Kenrokuen-style is again very different Here, the straw ropes are tied directly to the branches. This is possible, because there is not much snow expected in those areas where it is used. It’s more a decorative style.

Here is a list, which style can be found in which garden in Tokyo.

Hokubushiki: Koishikawa Korakuen, Rikugien, Kyu-Furukawa teien, Tonogayato teien.
Nanbushiki: Hamarikyu, Kyu-Shibarikyu, Kiyosumi teien, Mukojima Hyakkaen.
Kenrokuenshiki: Kyu-Shibarikyu, Rikugien.

Hokubushiki in Koishikawa Korakuen

Nanbushiki in Kyu-Furukawa teien

Hokubushiki in Kyu-Furukawa teien

Nanbushiki in Hamarikyu

Kenrokuenshiki in Kyu-Shibarikyu

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Anika

With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.

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Anika

With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.