In early June, work on the Chojubai proceeds from full defoliation to pruning and wiring. The aim is to bring light and air into the interior, stimulate lateral buds, and develop fine ramification over time. When you face the framework after the leaves have been removed, certain things become visible for the first time.
In early June, all the leaves are removed from the Chojubai. Before making any cuts, the teacher first studies the tree. Are lateral buds emerging? Does the branch spread have enough strength? Before technique, there is dialogue with the tree.
Full defoliation places considerable stress on a tree. That is why the first question is whether it has sufficient vigor. This work can only be done on a healthy tree. That order cannot be compromised.
The tree had already been pruned once before defoliation. Even so, certain areas only became apparent after the leaves were removed: “This part is still too long.”
Observation is not completed in a single pass. Step by step, the tree reveals a different aspect of itself. When only the leafless framework remains, the movement of the branches and the flow of the trunk can finally be read clearly.
An unnecessary heavy branch is cut back to a point where there is a bud. There is no hesitation in that decision. “The ideal tree has many fine branches.” Because the intended form is already clear, it becomes clear what must be removed now. A bold change is not an impulse. It comes from intention and resolve.
Wire is applied to bring down branches that are rising upward. The purpose is not simply to “lower” them. It is to create vertical variation and loosen areas of congestion. As a single branch is moved, the change in the tree’s overall space is being read in advance.
Deciduous trees contain little resin and break easily. For that reason, Aluminum Wire is chosen. Understanding the character of the material and adjusting the way it is handled is also part of the dialogue with the tree.
The effect of defoliation does not appear immediately. More light reaches the interior, lateral buds begin to move, and fine twigs gradually increase. That change takes time.
“It will take a little time, but please build it in that direction.” Within those words is a quiet trust in time itself.
Without its leaves, the Chojubai may look a little bare for now. But inside the opened interior, the next season has already begun to move.
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