Japanese Black Pine
Pinus thunbergii · Trees - Conifers
Japanese Black Pine, trained
Tokyo, 31 August 2024
Decades, probably a century or more, of pruning have flattened this pine into tiers the way niwaki training always aims for - each pad of foliage kept thin and separate rather than left to fill in.
The teahouse roof it half-hides and the office towers rising behind it are the two ends of the same view this kind of garden was built to hold in one frame. Most likely Hama-rikyu, though I can't be certain which of Tokyo's clipped-pine gardens this is. Hama-rikyu was the shogun's duck-hunting ground, and its ponds are still tidal, filled from Tokyo Bay.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Every photograph comes with notes on what it is.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant.
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Narrow it by period, place or species; the three work together.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.