Pine

2022/05/26

Takashi Yamaguchi

Writer, Journalist • 1973 Economics

In the spring of 1962, Fujio Akatsuka received a request for a manuscript from the editorial department of Weekly Shonen Sunday. Akatsuka was 26 years old and still a newcomer. The series was set for four installments. His previous record was two, but he was determined, thinking, "It's only four installments anyway, I'm going to go all out."

The main characters were sextuplets. Starting with Osomatsu, then Todomatsu, Choromatsu, Jyushimatsu... all six had "Matsu" (pine) in their names. It was a slapstick comedy featuring mischievous sextuplets rather than just twins. This was the birth of "Osomatsu-kun," which Akatsuka declared to be "Japan's first gag manga."

The novelty of sextuplets, the eccentricity of the ideas, and the good pacing were a hit. Instead of four installments, the series recorded a long run of seven years until the spring of 1969.

Riding the momentum, Akatsuka released a string of hits such as "Himitsu no Akko-chan," "Moretsu Ataro," and "Tensai Bakabon," solidifying his status as a gag manga artist. In 2015, the anime "Osomatsu-san," featuring the grown-up "Osomatsu-kun" characters as adults, became popular.

"Osomatsu" did not turn out to be "osomatsu" (shabby/poor), but rather grew into a giant tree.

Hiroyuki Uenishi

Chairman of Mita Handball Club • 1980 Commerce

Pine resin is famous for its use as a non-slip agent in baseball rosin bags, ballet shoes, and for string instrument bows, but it has actually been used in handball as a grip enhancer since ancient times. Even today, athletes competing in the Olympics and World Championships use it, so there is no doubt that its effectiveness is significant.

A handball for men at the high school level and above is about 19 cm in diameter, a size that can be held in one hand, but since it becomes slippery with sweat during practice and matches, pine resin is used. The pine resin used in handball is golden and feels like thick, "drippy" honey. The key is to apply just a little bit to the index and middle fingers of the throwing hand.

During my active days, we practiced outdoors by putting saliva on our hands. We only used pine resin during matches in gyms where its use was permitted. Because the ball wouldn't slip, I have fond memories of pine resin giving me the illusion that I had become better at the game. After a match, my hands would be pitch black with dried, discolored resin. It wouldn't come off with soap, but someone discovered that applying Salomethyl makes them clean in an instant—the reason for which remains unknown to this day.

Yuzuru Miyanami

President of Matsubaya Co., Ltd. • 1994 Law

The predecessor of Matsubaya was a miso shop called "Tenmaya" that had continued since the Edo period. Matsutake mushrooms, which we began handling by chance due to a shipping error, are now our shop's name. We were founded in Akasaka, Tokyo, in May 1976, and thanks to everyone, it has been nearly 50 years. Matsutake, as the name suggests, are mushrooms that grow at the base of pine (matsu) trees. Fifty years might be just a blink of an eye to a pine tree, which is considered a symbol of eternal youth and longevity.

Speaking of pine, there is a poem in the Hyakunin Isshu: "Though I leave now for Mt. Inaba, if I hear that you pine (matsu) for me like the pines on its peak, I shall return at once" (Chunagon Yukihira). While it is a poem expressing the sadness of parting due to a job transfer, it is also said to be a charm used to wish for the return of people or animals who have gone away.

Two years have already passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. From the perspective of a pine tree, it may be just the duration of a single breath, but for us humans, it has been a long time. The town of Akasaka still feels far from regaining its former bustle, but like the pine tree that keeps its green leaves even in winter, I will use this space to cast a charm, saying that I am "waiting" (matsu) for the day when everyone can enjoy matsutake mushrooms with peace of mind.

Kota Sumiyoshi

Director of Otono Co., Ltd. • 2015 Environment and Information Studies

Are you familiar with "Miho no Matsubara" located in Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture? It is one of Japan's three most scenic pine groves and was registered as a World Heritage site in 2013 as a component of Mount Fuji. With approximately 30,000 pine trees growing along a 7km coastline, the scenery created by the green of the pine forest, the white waves crashing ashore, the blue of the sea, and Mount Fuji is a "one-of-a-kind" presence in Japan.

Beyond simply "enjoying the view," it is a cultural site known as an "object of faith and a source of art," having captured the hearts of Japanese people who have worshipped Mount Fuji since ancient times and being depicted in Utagawa Hiroshige's ukiyo-e prints, numerous paintings, and waka poems (it was actually registered as a World Heritage "Cultural Site" rather than a "Natural Site").

On the other hand, it is also a space that coexists with daily life, serving as a playground for local students and a running course for marathon races and sports clubs; for me, it was a "playground" when I was a child. Why not visit Miho no Matsubara, a place with many faces—a "scenic spot," a "source of art," and a "playground"?