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22 Arbor Age / July 2014 www.arborage.com and carry out those treatments himself, or recommend a per- son or people that can carry out those treatments in a safe and productive way." So this brings us back to Japan, where many Japanese people have asked me, "What is arboriculture?" I explain that arboriculture is the art and science of caring for trees, often dealing with many different issues that arise when and where people and trees coexist. While most people do love trees and want to have them around us, large "shade trees" can pose a signifi cant risk to people and property. Since the mid to late 1940s, western ways have been reach- ing Japanese society more than ever before, and, you guessed it, there are more urban "shade trees" today than ever before. Japanese towns, cities, villages, temples and shrine areas need arboriculture more now than ever, and very likely the need will continue to grow and diversify. For many cultural and historical reasons, arboriculture is a very new and little-known concept and practice in Japan. While we are all blessed by trees and the resources they pro- vide us, they can also provide a formidable risk. The Japanese people love their gardens and green spaces. Bonsai and many ornate Japanese maple species and cultivars are classic exam- ples and a testament to the Japanese people's commitment to having, and managing, trees in urban areas. Seventy percent of Japan is rugged, mountainous and forested, leaving only 30 percent or so for all other aspects of sustaining their people domestically. In Japan, large trees have primarily existed in the mountains or the temple and shrine areas. However, there are a small number of surprisingly large old trees in downtown city areas that are considered sacred and protected as such. So there are matters of faith and history. Both Shinto and Bud- dhist religions have also inhibited people from even wanting to plant a tree that may create a risk or the need to destroy a tree in the future. Many trees that are considered to be of great importance are watched over by the "Tree Doctors" in Japan. While these urban tree management practices have been widely adhered to historically, the need for urban forestry and tree risk management is increasing throughout Japan. English gardens and western landscaping are infl uencing modern Japa- nese landscapes; this often means planting larger shade trees. Then, of course, there is the ever-growing need for inexpen- sive electricity. That means an ever-growing electrical grid and tree interface issues. ArborMaster is planning to return to Japan again next year to provide "Arborist Rigging Methods" training for this year's alumni, as they have now met their basic training prerequisites. We will also begin to schedule new classes and look to fi nd synergy with other organizations in order to bring the very best ArborMaster has to offer to Japanese arboriculture. Through a systematic, fundamental and comprehensive ap- proach, students were taught by me and Rocco Massaro of ArborMaster, with Kobayashi assisting. Kobayashi will be tak- ing on a more signifi cant role in ArborMaster Japan going for- ward. Both organizations understand and agree that we have been given an awesome responsibility and an amazing oppor- tunity to learn from mistakes of the past, both in Japan and in other countries, and help apply this knowledge to wisdom in the practice of Japanese tree care as the country moves toward embracing modern arboriculture. I will just mention three examples for now: 1. Safety Saves! We in the western world of tree care operations have learned many things and have tackled many challenges and changes. However, we have an epidemic on SPECIAL FEATURE SPECIAL FEATURE