“Don’t buy trees to build a temple, buy a mountain.” –You should build one temple or tower with one mountain tree. Do not mix with Yoshino tree and Kiso tree. This is because trees have different properties depending on the soil quality. It is said that it is appropriate to build trees in the same environment. Moreover, the origin of Miya carpenter’s technique is to identify the habits of each cypress and make use of them in the right place. Miya carpenters are doing daunting tasks normally.
When should I cut out a tree? The answer is autumn. Because as winter approaches, trees absorb less water in preparation for the winter. Trees cut in the fall are less likely to rot because the water contained in the trees is low. On the contrary, the trees in early spring are sucking up water more and more, so it is not convenient to use for construction. It is also important to know the basic properties of lumber depending on the soil, such as Yoshino being sticky and Kiso having a beautiful but soft texture. It seems that many palace carpenters think that Taiwanese trees are cold.
