Shimokawa Town, Hokkaido

Creating a sustainable community
through recycle-based forest
management and forest biomass
Background and Reason for the Projectchips used as fuel are created from leftover wood at

Shimokawa is a town located in northern Hokkaido

logging sites, thus making effective use of formallywith a population of about 3,000 with 88% of its area

unutilised resources.

covered by forests. To fully utilise this abundantresource, Shimokawa is working to combat global

Ichinohashi Bio-Village initiative

warming and revitalise the local economy throughThe Ichinohashi area is located approximately 12 km

sustainable forest management, adding value to its

east of downtown Shimokawa. With a population ofunused resources, and expanding the use of forest

approximately 90 and roughly 50% consideredbiomass as thermal energy.

elderly (as of 2009), the village was struggling tomaintain the community with the decline not only inProject Aims

population, but in their industries as well. In

1. A stable supply of lumber and employment

response, the village and its residents worked

through sustainable forest management.

together to formulate the ‘Ichinohashi Bio-Village

2. Resolve regional issues through integrated

Initiative’, a grand design for the future of theenvironmental, economic, and social initiatives.

community.

3. Village revitalisation with woody biomass as a
primary source of energy.

Project Outline
Recycle-based forest management
Shimokawa's forest development is based on thephilosophy of ‘recycle-based forest management’that continuously repeats logging and reforestation.
The forest harvesting season is 60 years, and thetown has ensured a forest base that allows for 50
hectares of logging and reforestation each year.

Forest owned by Shimokawa

Utilising forest biomass
With the foundation of ‘recycle-based forest
management’, woody biomass boilers have been
installed in public facilities to supply heat as a new
way to utilise the forest and its lumber. The wood1

mushrooms.

Woody biomass boiler

Special Features and Innovations

Ichinohashi Bio-Village

Recycle-based forest management
To reduce the cost of and add value to forest

Results of the Project

maintenance, Shimokawa is developing initiatives for

Recycle-based forest management

the comprehensive utilisation of its forests, includingCurrently, 3,000 hectares of planted forests are being

the introduction of high-performance forestry

managed in a recycle-based manner to stabilize local

machinery,jobs and provide a stable supply of lumber to local

acquisition

oftheFSC(ForestStewardship Council) forestry certification, and thelumber processing factories.

installation of woody biomass boilers in publicfacilities.

Utilizing forest biomass
10 woody biomass boilers supply thermal energy toUtilising forest biomass

about 30 facilities, and the village is self-sufficient

In 2005, the first woody biomass boiler was installedwith 56% of its total thermal energy coming fromat Gomi Onsen, a public hot spring facility inbiomass boilers.

Hokkaido. Since then, more have been increasingly
installed in public facilities, with a total of 10 boilers

Ichinohashi Bio-Village initiative

currently in operation. Compared to fossil fuels, theCompared to 2009 before the village rehabilitation

cost was reduced by approximately 38 million yen inproject was initiated, the population has slightly

FY2021, half of which was set aside for boiler

increased to 111 (versus 95 in 2009), and the ratio ofreplacement costs, and the other half was allocatedelderly residents has decreased to 28.8% (versusto the village’s childcare support program to improve

51.6% in 2009) (as of April 2022).

services for residents of child-rearing age.

Issues, Problems and Responses
Ichinohashi Bio-Village initiative

Recycle-based forest management

The ‘Ichinohashi Area Heat Supply System’ initiative,

Shimokawa is working to secure and train forestry

which supplies heat to the entire community using

workers by accepting students from nearby

woody biomass boilers. The community is also

agricultural high schools and forestry colleges forworking to revitalise the community and create newpractical forestry training. In addition, they are also

industries based on self-sufficiency in thermal energy,

promoting forestry operations using ICT to improve

including the construction of high-performanceefficiency.

residential housing and a special forest products
cultivationlaboratorythatcultivates

shiitake

Utilising forest biomass
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While the installation of woody biomass boilers inpublic facilities that require large amounts of heathas been completed, as the boilers will need to bereplaced around 2023, it is necessary to continue
considering possible energy supply systems.
Ichinohashi Bio-Village initiative
The circulation pumps for the heat supply system's
hot water operate at their rated output 24 hours aday and there have been issues with the cost ofelectricity maintenance. From 2019, the output of
the hot water circulation pumps has been controlled
by an inverter control to improve the efficiency of theentire heat supply system and reduce maintenancecosts.

Future Developments (expected effects andproject vision and issues)
Recycle-based forest management
Improve the efficiency and economy of forestry
operations by securing forestry workers andReference URL

promoting ICT-based forestry.

https://www.town.shimokawa.hokkaido.jp/jigyo/20
20/01/post-10.html

Utilising forest biomass(More about recycle-based forest management)

Supply heat to residential areas while keeping in

https://www.town.shimokawa.hokkaido.jp/section/

mind the upcoming woody

2020/01/post-92.html

biomass boilers

replacement period. Consolidate the area's heat

(More about forest biomass energy)

supply/resources and develop heat supply pipelines

Contact:

to operate at high efficiency.

Division in Charge: Shimokawa General Planning
Ichinohashi Bio-Village initiative

Division, Climate Change Policy Headquarters

Maintain and develop the Ichinohashi area throughTel.: +81-1655-4-2511

the creation of industries using the Ichinohashi area

E-mail: zerocarbon@town.shimokawa.hokkaido.jp

heat supply system.

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