How to clean Jin and Shari areas

When Shari and Jin Begin to Rot

Shimpaku Juniper speaks through its Jin and Shari. The pale, carved-away wood gives the tree a sense of accumulated time, drawing the viewer into quiet contemplation.

But those same features can also become entry points for decay. A bluish, moss-like buildup — left unattended, rot begins there. The very heart of the tree's beauty becomes a point of vulnerability if care is neglected. That is why, two or three times a year, there is work to be done: cleaning.

The Work of Washing Away

Using a spray gun, you apply water pressure and carefully remove the buildup. Too much force, and you risk damaging the adjacent Live Vein — the living part of the tree. So you mind the angle of the nozzle: deliberate, yet gentle.

If you have no spray gun, a wire brush or a toothbrush will do just as well. The tool does not matter. What matters is not stopping the work. That attitude is what keeps Shimpaku Juniper alive as Shimpaku Juniper.

From Cleaning to Protection — as One Continuous Flow

This work is built into the process before Repotting. Clean first, then repot, and once the tree has settled, apply Lime Sulfur Solution across all the Jin and Shari. It is not three separate steps — it is one sequence.

When the Lime Sulfur Solution dries, the whiteness of the Shari sharpens, and a contrast emerges against the brown of the Live Vein. It is a restoration of beauty, and at the same time, a safeguard against rot.

Protecting Beauty Is Keeping the Tree Alive

Jin and Shari are the record of time the tree has lived through. Worn by wind and frost, weathered and died back — what remains gives Shimpaku Juniper its particular expression.

To protect that record — to wash away the grime, prevent rot, and carry the tree into the next season — is, in the end, the same thing as protecting the tree itself. The moment when beauty and health become one. The quiet, unglamorous work of cleaning teaches us that, without making a fuss about it.