抄録
Kuromoji-gaki, a type of traditional Japanese garden fence made of Lindera umbellata, is facing a crisis of material procurement. In this research, we have conducted environmental survey at both current and past collection sites, interview survey to collectors and questionnaire survey to bamboo shops and landscapers to understand the current status and changes in the collection and procurement of Lindera umbellata. Based on the survey, we have identified the specific standards required for materials used in making the fences. As plenty of branches matching this standard are required for efficient collection, Yamakumada in Niigata Prefecture was the only area in Japan where the collection is currently ongoing. In the fence-making process, all orders are consolidated at bamboo shops in Kyoto, where the techniques are being successfully preserved and passed down without any issues. Almost all of resource procurement in Kyoto has been sustained by only one bamboo shop since the 1980s. Despite ongoing demand for this fence, these results indicated that the number of collectors and suitable collecting areas is limited due to modern changes in the social and natural environments, and the unorganized flow of material procurement is accelerating instability of this industry.
