「說起來，竟然幾年沒去過美術館了，連去看美術展的慾望都消失無縱了。」藝術家朋友數年前搬進山裡，住家與工房被森林簇擁著。他每天在林間裡散步，看到的都是混然天成的藝術品，沒有任何藝術家的手，比自然的更巧，沒有任何藝術家的作品，比自然造出的更精致、更發人深省。
位於日本長野縣茅野市的木葉社，是一家樹木管理公司，替客人修剪樹木、診斷樹木的病症、栽植樹木，也打理庭園。每天與自然為伍，他們看到的不只是綠葉成蔭、枝葉茂盛時的美，同時也可以看落葉枯枝、凋零花草的魅力。「我們的工作場所位於森林、公園、神社及私人私園等植物生長的地方，365天都與植物接觸。在炎酷及溫和的自然環境裡，樹木花草美麗與脆弱，強靭而優雅，常教我們感驚歎。」木葉社希望將這感動，傳達給更多人，於是開設了品牌Yaso。
Yaso的每一件產品都是獨一無二的，因為它們全來自山林之中，木葉社在林間工作時，撿拾因風吹雨打，或純粹因生命循環而從樹上掉下來的枝葉。它們有些已然褪色，有些則仍保著鮮艷的色彩；有些葉片完整無缺，有些則是蟲蝕得體無完膚。無論如何，它們都透露了自然的多變與美好。
Yaso為每根植物附上一張小咭，記下來撿拾的年份及地點。「希望你將它放在居室時，會感到自己與山林如此親近。若因此而體會到山林是珍貴的資源，Yaso所做的，便更有價值了。」這便是Yaso的理念。
“All of a sudden, I realised I haven’t been to any art gallery for quite some years. I even lost the desire to check out art exhibitions.” said my artist friend who moved into the mountains a few years ago. Living and working in the forest, he has the privilege to wander in the woods and admire the beautiful art created by nature. There can never be an artist who is more talented than nature. No artwork made by human can be more delicate and inspiring than what is seen in nature.
Mokuyousha is a tree care company in Chino-She of Nagano Prefecture in Japan. They specialise in tree pruning, plant health care, tree planting, as well as taking care of private gardens. As an expert of nature, they see beauty not only in vibrant forests, but they also see the charm of the dead twigs and withered leaves. “We work in forests, parks, shrine and gardens, basically anywhere that plants grow. We are being with plants all year round. The beauty and vulnerability, toughness and elegance, these faces of nature as seen in the extreme and mild natural environment are always a wonder to us.” Hoping to pass the pleasure to a wider audience, Mokuyousha decided to launch the brand Yaso.
Every piece of Yaso’s products is unique, as they all come from the forests. When working in the woods, Mokuyousha would pick up fallen branches that got blown off by wind and rain, or those that fell simply because they were already dead. Some of them have a dull color, while some others are still bright and vivid; some leaves look perfect, the others are ruined by insects. No matter how they look, they are all evidence of the loveliness of nature.
The plant sold by Yaso comes with a small card that marks the year and location where it was picked up. “We wish by placing this in your living room, it can help you to feel being closer to the woods. If this can remind you of the preciousness of mountains and forests, Yaso has succeeded in doing something meaningful,” says Yaso explaining their belief.
