Until now, plant hunter Seijun Nishihata has discussed plants from hot and cold countries. In this final installment of the series, he focuses on plants from countries and regions with four seasons. What he expresses here involves not only the relationship between people, plants, and air but also involves what we can do for Earth and the environment.
Vegetation Differs Even in Countries with Four Seasons
While I have talked about the climate and plants of various regions, I would now like to discuss “countries with four seasons,” which are those countries located in the temperate zone in terms of climate. Countries in this zone belong to the middle latitudes that are neither too far north or south, and Japan is one of those countries. America, parts of Europe, and Australia also have a similar climate to that of Japan.
Though generally referred to as the temperate zone, it has a great diversity in vegetation. In temperate countries outside of Japan, evergreen trees comprise the majority of trees, whereas in Japan, deciduous trees are the most common. This means that the plants and ambiance change significantly in appearance with each season. Since ancient times, Japanese people have felt the changes in the seasons and written about their feelings in waka poetry, and I think that the dramatic changes in plants and scenery have had a great impact on Japanese culture and lifestyles.
Various theories exist about the number of native plants that originally grew in Japan with estimates ranging between 7,000 to 8,000 species. This contrasts with Great Britian, which despite being roughly at the same latitude and being of the same size as Japan, has only one-tenth of that number and sparse vegetation. It's interesting to see how different the plant diversity is between the two island nations.
Among the countries with four seasons, Australia is also a unique place. In Japan, the cherry blossom front, which describes the advance of cherry blossoms in Japan, begins in Okinawa in the spring and moves north. In the same way, wildflowers in Western Australia also start to bloom first from the warmest locations. The plants and wildflowers of the Myrtaceae and Proteaceae families that grow in nature bloom from the north and move south. Because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, the north and south are reversed compared to Japan, but a similar natural phenomenon can be seen.
Both People and Plants Live by Adopting to the Climate
Shiki oriori is an expression in Japanese meaning the changing scenes of the seasons. Recently, our sense of the seasons in Japan has also been changing. When I started this job 22 years ago, hardly any houseplants could have survived outside in the Tokyo winter. Seeing them now surprises me and I have to ask myself, "Wow, can these types of plants actually grow outside in winter?" In the same way, I go to the mountains every year and have worked in the snow until now, but there was no snow at all this year. Little by little, I feel that something is changing in the cycle of the seasons.
All living things on Earth, including humans and plants, are affected by climate and adapt to it. Until now, I’ve spoken about plants of various regions and countries, and as I think back, it makes a lot of sense. Plants also live by adopting to the place where they were born and are influenced by their current environment and climate. Using a little ingenuity, we can provide them a comfortable environment and help them grow healthily.
Likewise, humans have been living on Earth since before the advent of clothes and air conditioning. Even though all people have the potential for immunity and resistance, I think that people in hot, cold, and temperate countries have all had to live by adapting to the climate of their own particular environment and finding ways to survive. In my case, my job is to apply this survival principle to plants, and I feel that this is similar to how Daikin Industries tries to think about people.
Unexpected Benefits of Plants in Surrounding Spaces
Looking at climate in recent years, I’ve become increasingly more concerned about global warming, but besides planting trees, there are other things that we can do to reduce CO2 emissions. For example, if we select paving materials for landscapes that do not use concrete, we can reduce CO2 emissions during construction by about half.
Since they are made from petroleum and add to the problem of microplastics, artificial grass and other types of plastic greenery provide no benefit to the earth. For projects that I'm involved with, not only do I avoid using these types of things, but I also take steps to reduce their use.
Other things that I propose and put into practice are ways to reduce the amount of water used in large facilities such as amusement and public parks.
For something closer to home, putting plants in an office space can fix carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Plants also have a deodorizing effect and bring positive emotional benefits such as being stylish and having a beautiful appearance. Similarly, plants in indoor spaces are said to reduce stress, improve concentration, and increase productivity.
As I previously mentioned, comfort in terms of temperature and humidity are the same for both humans and plants, but plants tend to quickly wither away and die if left in a poorly ventilated space. In other words, an environment unsuitable for plant growth is a good barometer for indicating a place that is also uncomfortable for humans. My staff and I provide plants that suit the environment to optimize the space requested by our clients, but these plants are functional, not for aesthetics. I’ve learned this by observing natural landscapes, systems, and environments and have applied it my work.
What We Can Do for the Global Environment
When we think from a broader perspective, a sense of crisis exists for issues like climate change, but how can we confront these issues? On the one hand, we want to think about the earth while, at the same time, we also want to think about our own daily lives. These two aspects are always present. There are probably people who have no interest or knowledge for environmental issues while there are also others who are extremely keen about social activities. Other feel both sides and wonder, “What should I do?” Then there are those who lean to neither extreme.
Actually, I am one of those people, but the one thing that I can say is that no matter whether you are a farmer, an artist, or a person selling food, I think that we all have to consider what we can do in our station of life and field. Everyone must think about his or her role. If there are 10,000 different types of jobs in the world, then there are 10,000 different types of things that can be done. With this in mind, I think that all of us involved in some kind of job or specialty should think about what we can do to make a difference from our own corner of the world.
In this sense, I am extremely lucky. I perform a carbon inset by planting trees. Before people started becoming aware of such things, I was already directly involved in the environment through my life’s work. Even now, I feel blessed with the opportunity to engage in consultations and work with a variety of companies and be of service to them. Thinking every day about what I can do through this kind of work gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment.
