Mr. Yoshioka came to Shizuoka from Osaka because of a transfer at the company he joined. While living a stable salaryman life, a strong desire grew in him to start his own business and "accomplish something on my own." At 22, he made up his mind and jumped into landscape gardening, a completely different industry.

Having always worked indoors, he strongly wanted a job outdoors. He also believed that with his own body and skills he could start without large equipment or huge startup funds, which was one of the deciding factors. But it was a start from zero, with no local ties or connections. Behind his decision to go independent after five years of training at a landscaping company and study at a vocational training school lay an optimistic mindset – "if you're young, you can start over as many times as you like" – and a firm resolve to support it. How did he win trust in an unfamiliar place and build today's Tsukasa Zoen? His path holds hints for every young person who is not afraid of challenges.

What Mr. Yoshioka values most in his work is "dialogue" and "self-disclosure" even more than technique. A gardener's job takes him deep into customers' private spaces, so he says everything starts with letting people know "what kind of person I am" and putting them at ease. What supports his original pruning and garden-making is the teaching he received from his master during his training years: "Above all, look carefully at what's around you."

And not only gardens, but paintings in art museums, films, natural forms... He sharpens his sensibility by drawing inspiration from everything, building his own "originality" on top of the basic "form." That uncompromising attitude is the source of the power that breathes new life into each tree and revives neglected gardens.

Mr. Yoshioka, who says he looks forward to "how the way I deal with people will change" as he ages through his 50s and 60s, always has a positive outlook. In the latter half of the interview he also touched on the future of an industry facing a labor shortage. He spoke passionately about the potential of "women gardeners," whose delicate sensibility and ability to reassure customers when invited into their homes can be great strengths.

Warm work woven between people and plants, and between people themselves, that AI cannot replace. In the interview video, hear the rhythmic sound of him pruning a tree, and discover the depth of the gardener's profession and the real voice of a young man living in Enshu. We hope you will enjoy an experience that makes the scenery of your everyday life look a little different.