There is another reason for looking again at an offered Pine with needles that are strangely curved or twisted or limp in some way.
Shall i reveal this reason?
I shall indeed.
Say you are noble Samurai warrior returned from hacking a few peasants in half for affronting your sensibilities with their wanton poverty,say you are that man.
Now you have returned to the tea house and kneeling in your gory armour you are anticipating a refreshing beverage to be served in your honor but lo! out of the corner of your eye you spy the tokonoma has once again suffered Gajin molestation and your prized Nodachi has once again been removed and replaced with a Mugo pine from Austria.
The Shogun says me must not needlessly slaughter these Europeans as we need their rifles to slaughter our cousins a valley over and so with a heavy heart you bow your head and take in the splendour of your Katana,Wakizashi,Tanto and Aikuchi.
You realize these westerners may never recognise the true significance of steel,a good curve and a wicked edge,prefering instead these trees with broken,bent and buckled foliage.