Looks like a fast process from this drawing:
View attachment 472507
Of course, that’s only because I can’t read the captions.
The captions are:
The first three years, prune off the side shoots and grow to extend them to the desired height.
Apply wire in march of the fourth year.
Put them in the field and fatten them up.
Let them grow out, but remove unwanted branches.
Bottom 3 images:
4 months later, shoots grow 5-10 cm (leaves are omitted).
Cut off unwanted shoots. If the angle is not right, add a wire to correct it.
Add wire to correct the angle.
3~5 years later
https://www.deepl.com translates almost perfectly, except some verbs, very funky grammar, and specific words like names and jargon.
You can translate the entire site.
In terms of time, from cutting to 'patterned whip', it takes 4 years.
Then an undisclosed amount of fattening them up in the field.
Then 3 to 5 years to grow foliage pads.
Azaleas are not trees. They are basal dominant. This helps them develop taper without chopping the tree in half, like done with a maple.
It also means they are prone to reverse taper or knobby nodes. Which is why the Japanese grow them tall first. Then bend/pattern the trunk. Then fatten up. Then develop foliage pads.
