菱垣 貴史 / Takashi Hishigaki

TREE WORKERS TOKYO 代表 / Representative of TREE WORKERS TOKYO
庭や菱垣 代表 / Representative of Niwaya-Hishigaki

1985年生まれ / Born in 1985
徳島県阿南市出身 / Born in Anan-shi, Tokushima
東京都府中市在住 / Live in Fuchu-shi, Tokyo


造園の世界に飛び込んだ初日、陽の光を浴びながら草むしりに夢中になった日の事を今でもハッキリと覚えています。泥だらけになり、筋肉痛が治まる間もなく過ごした数か月の内に、「この仕事はきっと生涯飽きる事がない」という確信めいた思いを抱いていました。”インドア派”や”アウトドア派”といった、自身を小さくまとめてしまうだけの定義がいかに無意味かを思い知り、「どっちも楽しいからそれで良いや」と、呑気な人間が出来上がりました。

ロープワークという新しい技術を教えて頂く機会があり、大きな保存樹木の剪定に携わる機会が増えた頃、文字通り”樹木を保存する為の剪定”を託された私は”基本剪定”とだけ記された素っ気ない指示書の答えが分からずに葛藤しました。今、青々と茂っている目の前の大木に対して自分が出来る最良の選択は、何もせずに降りて来る事だったりして、、、枯れ枝も無いしどうしようかな、、そもそも剪定って何の為にするんだろう、、？むしろずっと誰にも手入れされなかったからこそ”保存樹木”と呼ばれるほど健康で立派に育ったんじゃないのか、、？？頭の中が混乱したまま、その場をやり過ごすような日々が続きました。

そこに人々の営みがあれば、樹木の将来について対話を重ねる必要があります。樹木が邪魔者扱いされないギリギリのサイズ感を維持したり、枯れ枝を取るのみに留めたり、何もしないという結論に至ったり、時には伐採したり。色々な経験を経て今思う事は、「ふたつとして同じ環境に置かれた樹木、同じ個体が存在しない以上、答えは必ずしもひとつとは限らないのではないか」という事です。人と樹木の数だけ選択肢があるからには、例え同じ”基本剪定”でも、プロとしての自分の型を持つよりも、あらゆる選択肢に自分を合わせられる方が、樹木と共存してゆく為には大切な技術のように思えます。

この度、混乱した道半ばの私を支え、教えを与えてくれる頼もしい仲間と共に”TREE WORKERS TOKYO”という名前のチームを結成しました。一人では出来なかった事が出来るようになり、一人では気付く事が出来なかった危険を回避出来る、そんなチームになれば良いなあと思っています。私たちの持てる技術や経験で、皆様のお役に立てる事があればとても嬉しく思います。

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I still clearly remember my first day in the landscaping world, when I was soaking up the sunlight and getting lost in the weeding.
Within a few months of being covered in mud and sore muscles, I was convinced that I would never get tired of this job.
I learned how meaningless such definitions as “indoor person” and “outdoor person” are, which only make me smaller and smaller, and I became a carefree person, thinking that both are fun and that’s all that matters.

I was taught a new technique called tree climbing and was given more opportunities to prune large preserved trees.
I was entrusted with the task of “pruning to preserve the trees,” and I was conflicted because I did not know the answer to the curt instructions that simply stated “basic pruning”.
The best choice I can make for the big tree in front of me that is now lush and green may be to come down and do nothing… What should I do, there are no dead branches… What is the purpose of pruning in the first place?
I think it is because they have not been cared for by anyone for so long that they have grown up to be so healthy and magnificent that they are called “preserved trees”.
I spent many days with a confused mind.

If people are spending time there, we need to have a dialogue about the future of trees.
They may maintain the size of the tree at the very edge where it is not treated as an obstacle, they may limit themselves to only removing dead branches, they may conclude to do nothing, or sometimes they may cut the tree down.
After having gone through various experiences, I now think that “since no two trees or individuals in the same environment are the same, there may not necessarily be a single answer.
Since there are as many options as there are people and trees, even if it is the same “basic pruning”, it is more important to be able to adapt oneself to all options than to have one’s own professional style, which is an important skill to have in order to live with trees.

I have formed a team named “TREE WORKERS TOKYO” with my friends who support and teach me in the midst of my confusing path.
I hope that we can become a team that can do things that we could not do alone and avoid dangers that we could not recognize on our own.
We are very happy to be of service to you with our skills and experience.