Akimoto is a seventh generation yamamori — a hereditary title equivalent to a ranger, though more accurately translated as a ‘mountain guardian’. His family has long watched over a tract of forest in Japan’s Kii Peninsula, a green headland jutting into the Pacific south of Osaka, whose cedar and cypress trees have been prized for their exceptional quality for centuries. Here, abundant rainfall and nutrient-rich soil foster timber that’s both strong and supple, while the surrounding mountain ranges shield the forests from typhoons, allowing the trees to grow tall and mature.