The Adachi Museum is known for its collection of paintings by renowned artist Yokoyama Taikan. The museum's founder, businessman Adachi Zenko, wanted visitors to "experience the beauty of Japanese painting through the deep emotion aroused by the natural beauty of the Japanese garden." Today, seven dedicated gardeners carry on his legacy.

Kono Iori joined the Museum's Garden Department 26 years ago, at age 18. "The surrounding mountains are this garden's 'borrowed landscape (shakkei),'" he explains. "Of course, we value the garden's own beauty, but we prize above all the way it harmonizes with the nature that surrounds it."

There is an ideal form for everything — the thickness and shape of tree branches and trunks, the visitors' vantage point, the placement of each tree and stone. In addition to their daily work, the gardeners must sometimes replant trees that have grown too large. They therefore maintain a stock of 400 red pines alone. "We carefully cultivate them in many shapes and sizes, to be ready for when they will be needed," says Kono. Every year from July to September, the 800 red pines are pruned, a summer tradition at the garden. It is a rare opportunity to get a close look at the skills of the gardeners, who usually work behind the scenes.

After typhoon damage or sudden downpours that wash away the sand, the gardeners restore everything to its original state by the next day. They use 360 bamboo brooms each year for daily maintenance; the worn-out brooms are burned once a year in an otakiage memorial cremation ceremony. "Our job is to keep the garden in its ideal state at all times, so that visitors don't notice even when we replant trees. We always feel greatly encouraged when a visitor tells us, "Your garden is beautiful."