International Symposium on Legality Verified Wood 2010
Part Two Report: Activities in Japan to Tackle Illegal Logging Issues
Presenter Information
Name

Yasuhiro Ohashi

Affiliation

Japan Lumber Importers’ Association (JLIA)

Title

Executive DirectorCareer1970: Entered Sumitomo Corporation, Timber Department, Southsea

Summary

Timber Section (based in Tokyo; primarily engaged in the importand sales of southsea wood [logs, lumber and plywood] throughpostings to the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia).
2000: Seconded to Sumisho Kenzai (the present Sumisho & Mitsuibussan
Kenzai Co., Ltd.)
2004: Retired from Sumitomo Corporation and was appointed JLIA
Executive Director. Presently also serving as a member of theCouncil for Tackling Illegal Logging and Promotion of Goho-wood[legal wood]

Report Outline
Title: Import and Supply of Legality Verified Wood: Current Conditions and Issues
For 34 years after entering Sumitomo Corporation (Timber Department) in 1970, I wasprimarily engaged in the import and sales of southsea timber (logs, lumber andplywood), with postings in Davao, Kota Kinabalu, Sibu and Jakarta. I have served inmy present post since 2004. The Japan Lumber Importers’ Association (JLIA) operates
with membership fees from our members, who handle timber and building materials,
and our main work is to provide information to our members. We also exchange
information and opinions with the Japanese government (the Forestry Agency) andwith domestic and foreign industry associations as a representative of Japan’s maintimber importers. I have participated in efforts to establish a supply system for legality
verified wood right from the start as a member of the commission for tackling illegal
logging.
JLIA members import about 60% of the major timber items imported into Japan.
Almost all JLIA members have become JLIA authorized goho-wood suppliers inaccordance with the Forestry Agency guidelines to establish a supply system forgoho-wood. Goho-wood is wood granted legality certificates individually for specificshipments based on the Forestry Agency guidelines.
In carrying out the prerequisite training and monitoring of members, it became clear toJLIA that while there is strong demand for legality certified wood from manufacturers
using logs as raw materials, demand from the wholesalers and distributors whopurchase those products is still weak, with ample room for growth. We also found thatthe certification demand for tropical timber is greater than that for timber fromconifers.
Amid the stagnant demand for legality certified wood from domestic distributors, forthe time being many JLIA members are issuing legality certificates to those purchasers
who demand them on a priority basis. Meanwhile, JLIA members are requesting
exporters to provide legality certificates because the demand for certificates is expected
to increase in the future and because they need to be able to respond if certificates arerequested after sales are completed. However, while some exporters voluntarily issue
legality certificates, other exporters are reported to be reluctant to meet the buyers’
requests.
As written in the Forestry Agency Guidelines, the first methods of verifying legality are
the forest certification system and the chain of custody (CoC) certification system. The
second method is to become JLIA certified. JLIA members are already certified throughthis second method, but they also work to gain CoC certification to be certified under
the first method as well. The majority of JLIA members have already gained FSCand/or PEFC-CoC certification, and the number of such certifications has been risingover the past few years in particular. In fact, JLIA members who have obtained CoC
certification account for 80-90% of the total volume of wood imports by JLIA members,
so at JLIA a forest certified wood supply system is being established.
Japan’s Long-Life Quality Housing Law and the Act for Promotion of Use of Wood in
Public Buildings call for the use of legality verified wood, and the private sector is also
taking measures to shift to eco panels, green lumber and other sustainable materials.
Amid this trend, JLIA reconfirmed its commitment to the positive procurement anddomestic supply of legality verified wood at our annual general meeting. In the sensethat the legality certifications are linked, the verification method used by JLIA
authorized suppliers has the same effect as the verification method used in the forest
certification system and the CoC certification system. To ensure the reliability of thesystem, all JLIA authorized suppliers need to accurately understand the verification
system and make proper use of it. For that reason, JLIA seeks to educate members byvisiting every member once every eighteen months and offering training for managers
as well as persons in charge. At the same time, JLIA also evaluates JLIA authorized
suppliers’ measures through monitoring. In these ways, we seek to maintain andimprove the reliability of the system. As a result, a trend has arisen among JLIA
members to shift to a proactive policy of domestic sales of imported legality verified
wood specifically as legality verified wood, rather than waiting for a spike in thedemand for legality verified wood.
To boost the effectiveness of these Japanese efforts, however, it is critical that exporters
understand Japan’s approach and supply legality verified wood. Fortunately, some

exporting countries have their own public CoC systems, and I understand that many ofthe main exporting countries are managing forests on a sustainable basis so we expectthat legality is verified by forest certification andCoC certification under athird-party certification system. With CoC certification, simply stipulating that ashipment is CoC certified wood and writing the certification number on the shipping
documents make the documents into a legality certificate. Sometimes only a copy of theCoC certificate is submitted, but that is not enough, because a legality certificate(completed shipping documents) is required for each shipment under the Forestry
Agency guidelines. We sincerely hope that exporting countries will actively issue
legality certificates and cooperate with our efforts in Japan to take the lead inspreading the use of legality verified wood.