Tsubaki Revolution: rediscovering us and nature through Camellia oil

A revolution is rising in Sagiura, a quiet village northwards Izumo, Shimane Prefecture. Not of regime change, but one that promises humanity’s recall back into nature. Here, Atsuo Shiga is uncovering the secrets of the Camellia, also known as Tsubaki in Japan. And through his Tsubaki Revolution, Shiga is changing the face of Izumo, reconnecting the region with its roots in the Camellia flower, and, consequently, people with nature.

The destined meeting of Shiga and Camellia

The love story began when Shiga returned from the United States to create a circular economy in Izu Oshima, an island southeast of Shizuoka Prefecture. He learned that Camellias were offered as tribute to the gods in ancient times, replacing the rice tributes that were common in other regions.

Yet, in an era post-Great East Japan Earthquake, Shiga shared a heightened awareness for mortality with many Japanese. And with it, came a determination.

“I want to give it my all with whatever time I have in this world. Although Camellia began as a research subject, I decided to dedicate my time to Camellia.”

Subsequently, he joined in the revitalization efforts in Kesennuma Oshima, Tohoku. There, he discovered how Camellia oil could act as a catalyst to revive local tourism, of the lessons which he would then apply in Izumo.

Economic, historical and cultural presence of Camellia through the ages

Shiga searched for a place to use the above wisdom and found Izumo, home to the famous Izumo-taisha and. As it turns out, Camellia was naturally grown here and was valuable throughout Izumo’s history, its value waned in modern times, now rediscovered by Shiga.

Camellia trees were once a part of the economy, especially for Izumo. It was once a thriving iron production site, and Camellia trees were used to maintain fires in smelting metals. The abundance of the trees made Izumo an attractive site, which consequently led to a thriving economic era. The iron-crafting techniques like those from Tatara Ironsmithing are as old as 1400 years old.

And not forgetting its historical importance. Persian traders often traded with Japan, and revered the precious Camellia flower as a discovery, treating it as a commodity. Through them, the flower became known and treasured in regions from China to the Middle East. Southeast Asian traders enjoyed the popularity of the flower, too, especially as a herb for tea.

The Camellia held cultural importance for Japan too. Apart from consistent Camellia references in history dating even to the Jomon period about 7000 years ago, the Camellia had a mysticism in ancient times.

Shiga shared a trivia with us, “Camellia ash [created by burning Camellia leaves] has a property to kill bad bacteria while keeping the good one. Those living in ancient times before they understood the science behind it, Camellia was highly appreciated as a ward against evil and plague. They treated the trees as sacred.”

Indeed, history witnessed how the Camellia persisted, as royal proceedings continued to use the flower into the Heian period (around the AD 790s to 1180s). The color of the Camellia ash was precious as a textile dye. Officials of the court demanded the richest purple as a mark of authority, and without Camellia ash, they couldn’t satisfy that need.

Though glory from religious rituals and cultural habits did fade, Camellia still plays a key role today as a chemical ingredient, for example, in Japanese skincare products.

The decline, and the revival through Camellia oil

In other words, our ancestors who have come in contact with Camellia knew the benefits and how to use them best. The tree and flower have found themselves to be part of our lives at some point or another. It makes sense to think Camellia presents untapped value that waits to be rediscovered and maximized today.

Unfortunately, Camellia’s use fell out with the favor of time. Izumo’s iron industry depended on Camellia trees, and Camellia’s demand declined with the decline in iron production demand. Furthermore, Camellia had the property to separate silver and gold from other metals. So Camellia was essential in Japan’s trade history until it was phased out as chemical use. We strayed further around 1955 when Japan exported conveniences from overseas, including the big energy transition. Our dependency on these conveniences sealed our way away from needing Camellia, and arguably nature.

The value of Camellia oil becomes the value of the forest

However, there is an opportunity to revive the Camellia value in modern times through extracting Camellia oil. And to restore Camellia’s commercial value, there is a need to produce oil of the purest concentration. The main source of Camellia oil in the market now is from China, and the only way to compete with that is by way of quality.

“I discovered that the quality of mass-produced Camellia oil is low. To cut costs, factories apply heat to the oil extraction process to maximize yield. However, in doing so, beneficial phytochemicals such as vitamins and enzymes are destroyed in the process. That is why at Tsubaki Revolution, we use a cold-press method, making sure extraction is deliberate and temperatures do not exceed 40 degrees. It is a method even stricter than our European counterparts. Yield may be lower, but we retain 100% of the nutrients in Camellia oil.”

Even though Shiga calls himself an amateur, it shows the essential gap between “production for mass consumption” and “extraction for full appreciation” of the Camellia flower. Shiga believes that the goal should not be to commercialize Camellia oil. He wants to create the best quality of Camellia oil to protect the Camellia trees. In a sense, it is similar to artisanal creation and value creation, which we have seen before from artisans who create with minimal impact on nature. By raising the value of Camellia oil, a Tsubaki Forest (or Camellia Forest), where the seeds come from, will be further valued by people in the region.

It’s not about selling Camellia, but protecting the forest it comes from

It will be a mistake to think that the revival of Camellia is solely for economic purposes. The economic impact is only the side benefit, because Shiga is doing this to protect nature.

“For residents living close to the forest, they receive natural gifts, like harvesting bamboo shoots for food. However, residents also need to maintain the forest to prevent overproliferation, which would otherwise eventually end in a disaster. This is the concept of a circular economy. Like how Lumberjacks used to thin and maintain the forest, and carpenters create homes and burning wood from felled timber.”

This reciprocity embodies the essence of why we need to protect nature, particularly the forest and mountain. The mountains were once terraformed in Izumo to facilitate the smelting of iron and silver. Prioritizing man’s ambitions centuries ago left a mined and barren mountain of sand in Izumo. Even today, when we talk about the reforestation of the area, we should think from the angle of protecting nature.

“Today, there are a number of forestry issues around Japan, like shortage of workers due to an aging population or cheaply imported timber. Lack of maintenance increases disaster risks.

“The government provides financial support for reforestation. However, if the motive is only driven by monetary means, locals may start planting only cedar or cypress trees, which would not be the wisdom our ancestors would share. It would be better if we prioritized protecting nature by first elevating the value of nature.”

And that is what led Shiga to suggest turning the land into a Tsubaki Forest. He wants to create economic and cultural importance to bring back the circularity that once existed. He also learned that it is critical to involve everyone in creating that value.

Bringing the goodness of Camellia to the people

And a few activities are driving this goal through Tsubaki Revolution, a group aiming to create a circular system of goodness to benefit the region through Camellia. The first is, of course, to regenerate the Tsubaki forest. In 2016, Shiga began planting about 200 Camellia seedlings. Today, the group is expanding to the mountain to grow 30,000 camellias.

“We need to move from a competitive society to a symbiotic one. Within the convergence of conveniences that society advancement brought us, daily life separate from nature has become the norm. We want to enrich society with nature once again by regenerating the Camellia trees and promote a lifestyle through Camellia.”

As part of the Tsubaki Revolution, Camellia trees are grown and maintained with care. The group cooperates with managers who watch over the growth of the forest, while purchasing only the highest quality Camellia seeds from the Camellia farmers. These efforts assure the production of the highest purity of Camellia oil.

Education is also an essential component in Tsubaki Revolution. They go further than only conducting workshops to teach participants how to extract Camellia oil. Concepts of self-care are indoctrinated, making it possible for interested participants to become specialists in using Camellia oil. And the learning is not one-dimensional.

“Reconnecting Camellia’s value starts from oil extraction. Nature is the evolution of billions of years, and the extraction starts us thinking: how did the Camellia evolve? How is it grown? How to apply the oil? Even when the oils are up for sale, it’ll draw upon and create various forms of relationships.”

At Guest Salon Tsubakisha, the salon offers several experiences related to Camellia oil. One can even enjoy a session of hand therapy and facial treatment with Camellia oil, while overlooking a calming sea view.

“What if Camellia oil begins production in various parts of Japan, like regional wines and olives? There will be pride in the local nature, and that is what I think a life with nature can be.”

Wisdom awaits those who reconnect with nature

And there are lost wisdom waiting to be discovered by reconnecting with the forest mountain.

“Planting a Camellia seed is like depositing savings. Plant them today, and you’d have an oil field at the end of 20 years. Furthermore, ecological footprint is minimized when the ingredient is directly delivered from the forest to the users, even without having to be placed in a store.

“There was a time when people went into the forest and would be provided for. Rice cakes were made from chestnuts, and margarine was made from acorns. Even people from the Jomon period knew what tree barks were suitable for eating. Camellia can offer the same.”

Shiga is one of the most knowledgeable individuals on the planet regarding the Camellia. Having done extensive research looking at history and science, he is convinced that this flower has more to offer. He has a number of ongoing projects to discover more goodness from Camellia and its oil, while relinking its benefits to the local economy.

Camellia oil extraction as the model example how humans can connect with nature

It is often hard to see the impact of our actions on nature. This is a problem when we use products. For example, we wonder, “How bad can one plastic bottle be?” We do not see the terrible impact that bottle brings. It goes both ways, too: we don’t see how positive actions benefit nature. Even if you are told this forest acts as a carbon dioxide sink to reduce carbon emissions by 5%, it is a fact that seems short on relevancy to the consumer.

However, Camellia can help us visualize and, more importantly, experience the impact.

“For example, we want people to treasure our forests and stop cutting down trees. Instead of saying there’re benefits in absorbing carbon dioxide, let’s simplify the story so it’s easier to understand. For example, allowing users to discover how smooth and moisturizing the Camellia oil is for their skin. It could eventually lead to them not needing to buy moisturizing products anymore. The users feel the direct benefit from Camellia, realizes a feeling to cherish the Camellia forest, thus understanding the importance of protecting the forest and nature.”

And we each have our own way to connect with nature!

“I asked individuals who lived with nature, ‘what is the value in nature?’ They all gave different answers! So it turns out there is no right answer. We all have our personal way of connecting with nature, and thus it is so with Camellia and me.”

Shiga’s shares his love for Camellia and Camellia oil to help connect people with nature. You will have your personal way to do so, and discover nature’s value too.

We are also part of nature, and there is still more to discover from nature

We wonder what more hidden revelations we can learn from the Camellia forest. Because when we look at the bigger picture, the oceans, mountains and forests are but a few parts of the global ecosystem that is currently under the climate crisis. There are hints in circularity with nature that we can make personal discoveries with to tackle this crisis.

Furthermore, protecting the forest will not only be ecologically, socially and economically beneficial, it could also be the gateway to humanity’s evolution.

“We still have not fully utilized our full potential as human beings. Human beings are a part of nature. As we enter the mountain and forest, we constantly learn from nature, and are constantly inspired by it. If we cut ourselves from nature, then we might as well be cyborgs, and we will never find our next stage of progress as human beings.”

Often we think of nature and humans as separate identities, but it’s a misconception. Shiga reminds us that we are part of nature. There is no dichotomy that we’d need to trade one for the other.

“If that is the case, we should progress from thinking of ‘using nature’ to ‘learning from nature,’ and get inspired by it. Connecting with nature is not about knowing. Instead of knowledge, that connection is an emotional one. We should go into the mountains, into nature, so we can experience and feel, to understand.”

A special thanks to Jeremy Rubier, who captured Shiga’s love for the Camellia perfectly through film. You can also view his video here: VIMEO.