Hello! Thank you for stopping by.♪
Our shop's unique staff run a variety of columns and fairs, which have been very well received by our customers. While I'm a little biased, we have a large number of practical and detailed reports, and plenty of reference material included, but on this page I've taken a completely different approach and am sharing my tree planting records (^ ^ ).
Why is it relevant when it's a music store's website (゜゜?)?
We often hear people say this, but perhaps we should say (in our opinion) that this freedom is the defining feature of our used musical instrument store. I should point out in advance that we won't be talking about musical instruments here. Please forgive me m(_ _)m. However, most of the musical instruments that you use on a daily basis are made of wood in some parts.
I polish guitars every day in the shop, and while I'm doing so, I often find myself thinking, "I wonder where in which country and how long this guitar lived when it was made of wood..."
This is the moment that 8 out of 10 people reading this will think, ``Who are you thinking about that? (;?_?)''
Our shop currently has around 3,000 used instruments in stock, but since they are all used and vintage, they are all from different eras and countries of origin, and each instrument has its own history and has come to Shin-Okubo, Tokyo, from all over the world. This means that we have a wide variety of woods gathered together, and to me, while being a musical instrument store, it also feels like a botanical museum that brings together materials from all over the world, from different eras.
This is spruce, often used for acoustic guitar tops. You can see that it alternates between white and dark brown sections. The white sections are called summer grain (those that grow from spring to summer), and the darker sections are called winter grain (those that grow from fall to winter). The combined several millimeters of these two represent one year's worth of growth. That's right, if you think about it carefully, this is the amount of thickness a tree can grow in a year. If you steadily count these numbers...it's a bit eye-opening, but you'll see that the tree is at least 10 years old. Both expensive and inexpensive instrument woods have their own long histories and lives as plants, and this grain is proof that they have survived on this planet for at least twice as long as you have. When you think about it like that, it naturally makes you think, "Wow, that's amazing!" ( *´ー`)
As I was thinking about this, I began to think that I wanted to see with my own eyes and experience the process of how trees actually grow over decades, even centuries. At my age, I won't be able to see them grow into large trees, but I decided to volunteer to plant trees, hoping that the experience of actually planting a tree with my own hands would give me an opportunity to think about the issue of material depletion and the environment.
With environmental problems becoming more serious these days, I'm sure many people are interested in tree planting activities themselves. But if you're interested, but still wondering where and how exactly do you plant trees in the mountains? Just read this, and I'm sure all your doubts and anxieties will be blown away (^ ^ ). From here on, I'd like to give you a rough rundown of a day in the life of a tree planting volunteer, showing the passage of time. Whether you're interested in musical instruments or not, wood or not, or tree planting or not, I'm sure there are many different thoughts and opinions, but I hope many people will take a look. (It's all photos, almost no text... ^ ^ ;)
Here you go~m(_ _)m.
Certain month, certain day
I got up before 5am...obviously, getting up early is essential to heading up the mountain. If I can overcome this challenge, the rest will be fine (_ _)zzz
Just before 6 o'clock, I somehow managed to get ready and left the house. Feeling the refreshing early summer breeze, I headed to the station.♪...But unfortunately, it was forecast to rain that day. I headed to the nearest station in the rain, and from there I moved to Shinjuku.
At 6:24 am, I boarded the designated express train departing Shinjuku, heading straight for northern Kanto. Feeling terribly low-spirited, I silently ate my breakfast on the train, then pulled my hoodie over my head and fell into a deep sleep for a while...
About two hours later, at 8:14am, I arrived at the transfer point. I changed to a local train departing at 8:23am, and it took another 45 minutes.
It was raining so hard I wondered what was going to happen (panic) when I arrived at my destination, the last station, at 9:08am.
As we left the station, we saw several buses waiting for us from the NPO that would be helping us this time, and the participants who had gathered boarded the buses one by one. I quickly followed them onto the bus and was on the swaying ride for just under 40 minutes. The mountains came into view outside the window.
It's been more than four hours since I left home (◎◎;) and I finally arrived at my destination =3. The pouring rain had stopped midway through the journey.
The low tension of the morning, which felt like the depths of hell, was gone, and with an uncharacteristic energy, I jumped off the bus (?) saying, "Wow! We're finally here!" and started to toddering towards the tree-planting spot.
Umm, how far do I have to walk from here to get to the site? No sooner have I thought this than I hear a voice from a staff member say, "It's over there." I look in the direction he points and see that the people who arrived on the previous bus have already started planting trees.
"I thought I would have to walk a bit further to get to the tree planting spot. I'm glad I didn't end up exhausted," I thought to myself, looking back with a relieved expression...
Gyaa
People climbing up a very steep slope...
That's right! The tree planting course this time was divided into gentle and steep slopes, and as I wasn't very confident in my legs, I chose the gentle slope. The steep slope course required several trips up and down stairs at a 30-degree angle, stretching for about 200 meters. Just imagining how sore my legs will be after planting makes me shiver... But if there were no one to work on the steep slopes, the greenery there would never grow. It was a moment when I saw with my own eyes that it is only with the efforts of many people that a mountain can be regenerated.
So, I immediately started working while being taught how to do it by the instructor (＾∀＾)
In this way, the preparations for digging the holes are already complete, and the seedlings are then planted in them. This too is an incredible feat, as it was prepared in advance by the efforts of many people.
First, grass roots and stones are laid at the bottom of the hole. The grass roots will provide nutrients later.
Add a bucket of black soil to it.
Pour half a bag of leaf mold into it.
Add half a bag of powdered charcoal
Mix the whole mixture well.
By the way, the local temperature forecast for the day was 12°C. It probably actually was a little warmer, but it was just right for a long-sleeved shirt and hoodie. As you can see in the picture, I was wearing Co○verse shoes. I was nervous about going to work in Co○verse shoes, since I didn't have any hiking boots. However, the terrain was mostly flat, so lightweight sneakers were fine. There were some slippery areas, so perhaps a more slip-resistant pair of sneakers or proper trekking shoes would be better. I also managed to pull off the bold move of tackling the mountains in the exact same outfit I normally wear to work at the store. I brought an extra thin jacket to protect against the cold, but it ended up being unnecessary. This outfit is generally enough for early summer in northern Kanto, so please use it as a reference if you're considering participating.
(However, my beloved Co○verse is still a great help in the mountains, as expected.★)
Now, we are finally going to plant some seedlings in here.♪
It takes about three years for the seedlings to reach this size.
Gently press down around the seedling while replacing the surrounding soil.
Yay!
Yay yay yay!
Then it will look like this
Finally, mulching is done by covering the area with cedar bark to protect it from dryness and cold and to make it harder for weeds to grow.
And here it is, finished! There were several types of seedlings prepared, but um, what kind of tree are these? (lol) Sorry, I have no idea, but we planted a variety of seedlings, mainly Mizunara, which is native to this land.
In between work, I happened to look up at the sky at the site. It was raining lightly on and off, so the sky was completely white with clouds. For a moment, I thought it would be nice if the sky was blue, but then I wondered what would happen if the sun was shining...
The reason we are planting seedlings is because there are no trees, which means there is no shade, so even taking a short break is in the scorching sun... (I came here without even bringing a hat...) I realized that this was probably the perfect day for planting trees. With the UV rays being strong this time of year, it's a good idea to bring a hat with you (^ ^ ;).
We have steadily planted the seedlings and the entire work is almost complete. All the bark, charcoal powder, black soil, etc. that we used were provided by the sponsoring companies, so we used them carefully as a token of our appreciation.
There are also many seedlings here
With the help of hundreds of participants, seedlings were planted all over the place. It was actually a fairly large area, but it went by in a flash. This column is already nearing the end.
Now, after putting away the shovels and buckets, it's time for the long-awaited lunch.♪♪It was lunchtime just before 1pm, so the work must have finished smoothly. The participation fee for the day (3,000 yen) included bus fare, insurance, lunch boxes, pork miso soup, and water, and we enjoyed what we had brought under the tent.♪♪Although it looks completely submerged in the picture, the pork soup is packed with ingredients.♪♪ We ate it all up and enjoyed it all. We also finished most of the snacks we brought with us, and it was time for some socializing.
After this, the NPO members and participants all gathered together for a report session and the event concluded successfully. Due to the somewhat unstable weather, the event ended at around 3:00 pm, slightly earlier than the scheduled end time.
Now, we boarded the bus and left the site. Visible from the bus window was the former copper mine site, right next to the tree-planting site. Apparently, the surrounding mountains have rapidly changed in appearance due to the ongoing deforestation caused by operations, sulfur dioxide emissions, and forest fires. The charcoal powder used in the tree-planting was intended to neutralize, at least a little, the acidic soil, which remains contaminated to this day. I was speechless as I listened to the stories of the people who are working hard every day to bring back a "real forest" to this barren soil, which is said to be the most difficult to restore in Japan. It was a very thought-provoking sight.
And when we got down to the city, it started pouring rain (￣ ￣;)
If it was raining like this up there, it would be terrible. I was grateful for the good weather and headed home safely. I arrived back in Shinjuku just before 8pm. It took me the whole day, but it reminded me of the need to cherish our limited resources, and it gave me an opportunity to reevaluate my own lifestyle.
The saplings planted this time are not for musical instruments, but the wood of the instruments you use was, of course, all originally large trees. Some instruments, such as violins, have existed for hundreds of years and still radiate unsurpassed overwhelming value and charm. Even after transforming from a tree into an instrument, the tree continues to live for a long time, passing through the hands of people. I'm sure that all of you who love musical instruments have experienced the growth of the guitars and other instruments you own.BassI'm sure they're happy that they're being cared for and think, "I'm so glad I've been reborn as an instrument and can play music!" (^^).
So, this has turned into a rather eco-friendly story, but there are plenty of eco-friendly things you can do in your daily life without having to go to the mountains (＾◇＾)♪That's right! The eco-friendly thing you can do because you use musical instruments is to sell them and recycle them.♪】Your musical instruments are also important resources! If you have an instrument that has been sitting in your room for some reason, such as no longer being used or having been replaced, please bring it to our store! Purchasing is an ecological business that makes everyone happy, as it brings joy to the instrument and warms the customer's pockets. d(^ ^). We are ready to offer high appraisals and look forward to your visit, so please feel free to contact us! m( _ _ )m
Purchase form here♪
From historically valuable vintage items to the latest current models, our dedicated staff utilizes their extensive knowledge and experience to provide fair appraisals that prioritize quality and demand, regardless of market price. Items purchased are then appropriately repaired and adjusted by specialized repair shops and our own repairmen before being sold. Please rest assured that your beloved instruments will be in good hands, and leave them to us.
And so, it was over in a flash (^^;). Well, if this column continues next time, it will probably be about... my weeding experience... I'm sure no one wants to see endless images of me pulling out the weeds that grow in the area, so unfortunately there won't be any, but I hope that one day I'll be able to show you all what this sapling looks like when it has grown big!
Well then, everyone, I'll see you again next time(?). Thank you very muchヽ(^◇^)ノ（井）
*The volunteer activities mentioned in this column are different from our charitable activities.