About Uekipedia — Garden Tree Encyclopedia

Trees are something we encounter every day, yet rarely stop to truly notice. They’re always there, quietly present — and yet, for most people, they remain largely invisible.
When curiosity strikes and you try to learn more, most reference books are dense with technical jargon, and it’s easy to lose interest before you’ve made it past the first chapter.

About This Site

Uekipedia is a personal project run by one enthusiast — though gardening also happens to be my profession. The goal is simple: to build a comprehensive Japanese garden tree encyclopedia over time, written in plain language, enriched with trivia and fun facts, and illustrated with my own photographs.
There are plenty of Japanese tree guides and plant databases out there. I started this one anyway, because I genuinely love observing trees and writing about them. That’s really all there is to it.

A Work in Progress

Building something like this takes time. New content is added gradually, so feel free to check back whenever the mood strikes. The site is expected to reach completion around 2035.

Sources & References

The content is based primarily on my own knowledge, observations, and hands-on experience, supplemented by a range of Japanese botanical references on trees, garden plants, and ornamental shrubs.
Photos were taken in my own garden, as well as in forests, parks, botanical gardens, along streets, and at temples and shrines across Japan.

Image Use Policy

A great deal of time and effort goes into this site, particularly the photography. Please do not reproduce images on similar sites or social media without permission.
For business or media use, please get in touch via the contact form below. As long as you clearly state the intended use and provide a link or credit to Uekipedia (https://uekipedia.com), image use is generally free of charge. If you’re working to a tight deadline, follow-up after publication is also fine. For educational use — school classes, university research, community learning programs, local government green space management, and similar public-interest purposes — no prior contact is needed. Feel free to use the images as needed. For general comments and feedback, please visit the Comments & Feedback page rather than the contact form (note that submissions there are publicly visible).

A Note on Advertising
To support the ongoing maintenance of this site, Uekipedia displays affiliate advertising, including through the Amazon Associates program.

Uekipedia — Garden Tree Encyclopedia
Managed by Shinobu Matsumura(Niwaki pruning craftsman in Japan for over 30 years and has guided many young people)