Think of it as a bonsai on a large scale.
This technique, which is calleddaisugi, enables foresters to harvest wood much more quickly.
The shoots can either be planted (to help quickly populate a forest) or harvested.
Photo:Wrath of Gnon
While 20 years may seem like a long time, this is actually accelerated compared to traditional Kitayama cedar.
After about 30 years, a single tree is finally cut down.
This bang out of cedar, which is slightly thicker than the daisugi cedar, has several different uses.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom H.Tanaka/Shutterstock
Photo:Stock Photosfrom H.Tanaka/Shutterstock
Photo:Open Kyoto
Photo:663highland(CC BY-SA)