A person is completely surrounded by lush green scenery when driving on a mountain road in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, which has the highest percentage of man-made forests in Japan at 67%.
There are many cedar and Japanese cypress trees that have been planted in these mountains, probably because many people live near them.
But what caught my eye were the bright green leaves of maple trees, which suddenly came into view on the hillside of Mt. Sakurei. There are about 10,000 broad-leaf trees, including maple trees, that cover the about 10-hectare mountainside. The area is Kankyogeizyutsunomori, meaning art that is created by the natural forest.
"We have worked really hard to improve the air and water quality," said Masaaki Tsuruta, 84, owner of the forests who maintained the trees with his wife.
Tsuruta established a landscaping company in the city and received an award for his landscaping works. However, his life changed in 1980 when his second son, who played on the high school baseball team, became sick because of an unidentified illness and died after suffering from a high fever for 1-1/2 years.
After this devastating loss, Tsuruta asked himself the question, "What is the most important thing in this world?"
"I discussed it with my wife for a year, and reached the conclusion that air is the most important thing," he said.
As forests clean the air, it also purifies water. Tsuruta has planted broad-leaf trees on a deserted piece of land, which he initially bought to collect large stones to decorate his garden with, since 1981 and began his work to bring back the natural scenery using the forests, rivers and ocean.
"I dug up bamboo roots for the first 10 years, and I hated it with a passion when the winds were strong," he said.
But because he felt supported by all the people who donated blood to his son while he was fighting the disease, Tsuruta was able to keep going.
Later, Tsuruta built Fuyusanou, a cottage made from the wood of demolished buildings.
The cottage has been fully open to the public since 2010, but only in the autumn when the maple leaves change colors. The cottage started to become more well known about four years ago.
Tourists began posting photos on social media, showing the reflection of the maple trees on the surface of a lacquered desk on the second floor of the cottage. The photos are beautiful.
"It was at a time when instagrammable places were becoming popular. Also, when the association held photo competitions in 2016 and 2017, photos of the Kankyogeizyutsunomori won awards, and we used the results to promote Karatsu," said Michiko Yamane, 53, deputy chief of the secretariat of the Karatsu Tourism Association.
Since 2018, the cottage has become available to the public during the spring as well, and it is a popular time to go because of the lush green scenery.
Tsuruta's third son, Kenji, 54, has helped his father with his work for two years. As Kenji and I walked through the forest, strolling along a path near ponds and rivers, sunbeams fell through the green leaves of the maple trees.
"We try to maintain this scenery while at the same time, taking advantage of the natural environment," Kenji said.
Kenji's father has asked him to succeed him in continuing the work.
Though maintaining the forest is a tough job, Kenji said he wants to preserve as much of the forest as possible.
"My mother, who passed away four years ago, also asked me to 'take care of the mountains [and forests],'" he said.
The family's work has supported and conserved the forest.
Squid dumplings
The most popular souvenir in Yobuko, a port area of the city, is a specialty called ika shumai, which is a Chinese-style dumpling using squid. Yobuko is famous for serving live squid.
It is believed that ika shumai was created in Manbo, a floating restaurant on the ocean, in 1985, two years after the restaurant opened.
"My father, who was the previous president, and chef at the time created the dish because they wanted to serve a hot dish in the winter using squid when the number of customers decreased and there was a surplus of squid," said Junko Ota, 41, president of the restaurant.
There was a lot of trial-and-error until the dish was finally perfected. Sometimes, the failed versions were served on the dining table of the Ota family.
Squid, minced pollack meat, onions to bring out the sweetness and other ingredients are used to make ika shumai.
As I stuffed my mouth with a piece of ika shumai, I tasted the umami of the squid and it had a smooth texture. It was delicious.
The dumplings are not wrapped in dough sheets but are rolled through shredded wonton pieces, creating an ocean-inspired appearance.
A souvenir box containing eight ika shumai, which is sold at the Manbo flagship restaurant, costs 1,296 yen including tax.
The dumplings can also be bought in JR Karatsu Station, at Asaichi-dori street in the Yobuko area or over the phone.
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