その三本のクスは、古来より才の神が祀られている古道の脇の民家の庭に立っていた。
往時は行き交う人々で賑わっていたというその古道は、
今は空き家も目立つ静謐な露路筋で、時折ひと通りがあるだけだった。
昨年夏、その庭の手入れに来た友人の庭師が、ほぼ正三角形の位置に立っている三本のクスノキをみて家主にツリーハウスをつくらないかと進言した。
・・・彼の脳裏に眠っていたツリーハウスの種が大きく芽吹いていた。
冬、彼は家主夫妻を、親しくしている木工房「JUPITARIAN HILL」へ案内し、新しく出来た竹とカヤのドームや作品のあるギャラリーを見せた。
夫妻に＜三角形のデッキの上に六角形のカヤ葺きの小屋＞というツリーハウスのラフスケッチを見てもらう、二人は気に入ったようだった。どんなものが出来るのかこの時はまだイメージが掴めてなかったと思う。友人達と酒を酌み交わしたいという要望を受ける。
ー生きている樹の上に建物をつくるー
それはかつて人類が樹上生活をしていた過去の記憶を呼び覚ますものだ。多分．
地面を離れた風は樹の中でたおやかに舞い、涼やかさを生む．
春になってクスノキの葉が落ち、新緑がまぶしくなった頃に、庭師の父上でもある神主に祝詞をあげてもらい工事の安全を祈願する。
工事を始める前から、人々の中にうずいていたツリーハウスは始まると見学者が後をたたなかった。
デッキを設置した地上4.5ｍの高さに吹き抜ける風の心地よさと、樹間の景色に工事の仲間たち皆が魅了された。
この樹上の解放された空間をより味わうために、デッキを拡張することを提案すると、上に登った家主氏も感得して頷いてくれた。
大きくうねった枝ぶりのクスノキの元に通い始めて湧いてきた、天に昇る竜をイメージした階段をつくる。（上がるのではなく、登る階段、あたかも山に登る様に、始めと終わりがゆるく途中がキツイ）
階段を登るとすぐ大きな枝が目の前にあり、お辞儀してデッキに出る。
樹間に合わせてダウンサイジングした六角形の小屋は手前が低く、奥を高くした変則的な造りで頭を下げて入る。
外の解放感を中にもと、窓を大きくとり、屋根ドームの頂点に小さな天窓も設けた。
マダケで屋根ドームを組み、家主の友人たちが集まって、カヤ葺きをした。
ようやく現われたその全景は、森のような大きな樹形によくなじんでいた。
「秘密基地」にふさわしい佇まいだった。
デッキに上がった多くの人が「こんな世界があったなんて・・」と笑顔で驚きを隠さなかった。
経験豊富な高齢者ほどその驚きは大きいようだ。
そして女性たちは『大きな木』への憧憬に火をつけられて、眼を輝かした、
「こんな家に住みたい」と。
かつてこの庭の木で木登りして遊んだという近所の女性がやってきて、この空間をとても喜んだ。
そしてこの樹は伐られかかっていたと教えられた、落ち葉が大変でと。家主の父上に尋ねるとやはりそう言われた。
これまで多くの伐られたクスノキを加工して椅子やテーブルを作って来た、
大きな庭木はやっかい者で伐られるばかりだったが、
今回は色々な運と人の想いが重なって、このクスノキは生き延びた。
ながく人々の集う場として愛され続けることを想う。
＜ツリーハウス＞は様々な知見と技術、そして人の想いを集めて成り立つプロジェクトだと知る．
＊工事に関わった仲間と、Ｋ家の方々のお力添えに御礼申し上げます。
二〇一六年　長月

The three camphor trees have stood in the garden of a house that sat alongside an ancient road protected by the god of travelers since ancient times

In the past it was a busy, prosperous route, but now it’s mostly lined with empty houses and a solitary traveler only occasionally passes by.

In the summer of last year, a gardener friend went to that garden to do some maintenance and noticed that the three camphor trees stood in a perfect triangle. He suggested to the landlord building a treehouse on that site.

. . . In his mind the seed of the idea was planted and it grew quietly and blossomed.

In winter, he showed the couple that owned the place around his woodworking friend’s retreat, Jupitarian Hill, and showed them the woodworking art gallery and a recently constructed dome of bamboo and yew.
The couple was shown a rough sketch of a tree house consisting of a hexagonal roof made of yew above a triangular wood deck. They liked it very much, but it was probably heard to grasp the reality of how it would look in the end. and the couple requested him they can drink sake together with friends in the tree house.

・・・Building among living trees・・・

It awakens memories of the past when humans lived in the trees.

Off the ground, among the branches, the wind dances gracefully and gives one a sweet coolness.

In spring, when the camphor leaves were falling to the ground and the new, green growth was bright, the father of the gardener, a Shinto priest, was asked to say a prayer for the safety of all involved in the building of the tree house. Before construction had even started people were tingling with excitement and there was a never ending stream of visitors coming to watch the construction.

The deck, established at a height of 4.5 meters allowed the wind to pass through giving a pleasant feeling to all, and the scenery from among the branches enchanted everyone involved.

In order to make the most of the open air feeling it was proposed that the deck length be extended, the owner, having climbed up, gave his approval with a nod of the head.
After coming to these trees with twisted, swaying branches everyday,I conceived of the staircase as the shape of a dragon ascending into heaven. (It was the climbing staircase, like climbing a mountain, the beginning and ending are easy, but the middle part is hard.) Climbing the staircase you find your way blocked by a large bough, ducking under it you naturally enter the deck with a bow.

The house needed to be downsized to suit the available space. It’s irregular in shape. You must duck down for the low entrance and then it opens up and is taller in the rear. To ensure the feeling of the openness of the outside space continues on the inside a large window was installed and a small skylight in the apex of the ceiling.

The roof was constructed of bamboo, then all the owner’s friends came over and we thatched it with yew.
Gradually, we became accustomed to the scene; sitting among the forest branches.
It is a proper ‘secret clubhouse’.

Many people, when they climb up to the deck, smile in wonder and say “It’s amazing such a world exists”.

The elderly, with all their experience, seem the most surprised.

And in the ladies, a longing is ignited by the big trees. With shining eyes they say “I want to live in this house.”

A certain lady, who as neighborhood children had climbed the trees and played in their branches, came and were happy to sit in the trees again and relive old memories.

I heard that, because the fallen leaves were such a nuisance, the trees were once almost cut down. The owner’s father confirmed this.
In the past, I made out of camphor trees a lots of tables and chairs . Large garden trees were thought of as bothersome and were simply cut down, but in this case, due to luck and human love for trees, these ones are able to keep living.

I think the tree house will continue to be loved as a gathering place for people for many years to come.

The treehouse was a product of knowledge and technique and sincere human emotion all gathered together.

＊I would like to deeply thank all those involved in the construction, especially the K family for their much valued assistance.

September 2016