Silviase/jgov_v1.4_full_ann huggingface dataset:
### 3. Other Measures and Citizen’s Supports

In addition to above mentioned measures, following measures need to be accompanied for the improvement of forestry productivity.

## a) Coordination and consolidation of forestry practices

Since Japan’s forest ownership is small, fragmented, and scattered, it is impractical for each forest owner to conduct forestry practices individually. The Forestry Agency promotes the coordination and consolidation of each forest owner’s forestry practices to realize economically feasible scale. For this purpose, it is suggested for logging contractors including forest cooperatives to develop and propose a consolidated harvesting plan to forest owners who lost interests towards forest management.

## b) Human resource development

For the improvement of forestry productivity, sufficient number of competent persons needs to be developed, who have specific and advanced knowledge and skills on forestry machineries, planning, construction of forest road network, and promotion of coordination and consolidation of forestry practices. In this regard, Forestry Agency is going to make a “master plan for human resource development”, for the development of human resources needed for fulfillment of multi-functional role of forest and efficient forest management.

## c) Steady wood supply and wood use promotion

Since forestry depends principally on the revenue from log production, ensuring sufficient demand of wood is crucial to enhance the cycle of forestry practices such as harvesting, planting, and tending. Upstream industry should play a vital role for steady supply of raw log, while downstream industry should efficiently process and distribute wood products through rationalized channels. It is also important to expand the demand of wood through, among others, promotion of wood use in housing and public building projects, mixed combustion of woody biomass in coal-fired electric power plant, and research and development for developing new material use of wood.

The challenges mentioned so far are expected to be tackled with the efforts of every stakeholder in the forest and forestry sector including forest owners, and thereby Japan’s forestry would be revitalized through provoking the new businesses with the utilization of forest resources, and improving the profitability of forestry. In light of broad benefits of forest on citizens in Japan, the revitalization of forestry and the sustainable provision of multi-functionality of forest should be seriously pursued, while building consensus on how the forest should be utilized and conserved and how the forest should be.
## Chapter II Global Warming and Forest

### 1. Global Warming and Forest

According to the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), warming of the climate system is unequivocal and very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.

The Kyoto Protocol sets legally binding targets of greenhouse gas emission reduction by at least 5% for developed countries during the first commitment period 2008-2012. Japan’s emission reduction commitment is 6%.

Japan's greenhouse gas emissions were 1.29 billion $ CO_{2} $ -ton in 2008. This value was 6.8% decrease from the previous year, but still 1.9% increase compared with the base year of 1990 (Fig 2-1).

Source: Ministry of Environment

Fig 2-1: Japan’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions for FY2008

### 2. Action toward Achieving the Kyoto Protocol (emission reduction) Commitment through Forest Carbon Sink

Greenhouse gas removals by sink resulting from “afforestation”, “reforestation”, and “forest management” may be accounted for to meet the emission reduction commitment. Japan sets the domestic target of removal by forest at 13Mt-C/year (47.67 Mt-CO $ _{2} $ /year; 3.8% of the total emission in the base year). To meet the removal target of 13 Mt-C/year through forest carbon sink, Japan has been implementing 550 thousand hectares of thinning annually since FY 2007.
### 3. Emissions Trading and Carbon Offset

Under the “Integrated Domestic Market for Emissions Trading,” which was experimentally introduced in October 2008, approximately 77 thousand $ CO_{2} $ -ton of Domestic Credits were issued by March 2010 based on the woody biomass use projects, including “Boiler Fuel Conversion Project” under which the fuel is converted from fossil fuel to woody biomass.

Roughly 40 thousand $ CO_{2} $ -ton of Offsetting Credits (J-VER: Japan Verified Emission Reduction) were generated from projects of six positive lists relating to emission reductions or removals, including “Boiler Fuel Conversion from Fossil Fuel to Unused Woody biomass” and “Forest Management to Increase $ CO_{2} $ Removal.”

## Column 2-1: Domestic Credit with Woody Biomass

A pisciculture company “T” in Kagoshima Prefecture converted its boiler fuel from heavy oil to woody biomass with financial support from other companies in Tokyo. Approximately 1.2 thousand $ CO_{2} $ -ton is to be reduced annually and the Domestic Credit will be issued accordingly.

## Column 2-2: Offsetting Credits (J-VER) with Forest Management

A housing and affiliated business company “S” applied for Offsetting Credits (J-VER) regarding the project of "Forest Management to Increase $ CO_{2} $ Removal" in the company's forests, with the aim to invest the revenue into forest management and to increase the value of its forests. Some Credits have already been traded with another company.

### 4. International Initiatives

Currently, negotiations on the framework of the post first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol are underway. Although there was no final agreement in the COP15 in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009, the Conference of the Parties “takes note” of the “Copenhagen Accord” which was drafted by approximately 30 countries including major emitting countries such as US and China. The negotiation will continue toward the COP16 that will be held in Mexico from November to December in 2010. In the COP15, the following forest related issues were discussed.
## a) Forest Sink

Countries basically agreed to account the greenhouse gas removals by forest sink to meet the emission reduction commitment. One of the main remaining issues is forest carbon accounting rules. Currently, there are three options for accounting: i) Gross-Net, ii) Net-Net and iii) the Reference level (the bar) (Fig 2-2). Another issue is the treatment of harvested wood products (HWP). Under the Kyoto Protocol, only forest carbon sink by standing forest can be accounted to meet the commitment, based on the assumption that carbon stored in forest is released when forest is harvested. But, in reality, wood continue to store sequestrated carbon as HWP. There is a discussion whether such carbon stored in HWPs are to be accounted in the framework of the post first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, and, if so, what rules should be applied to accounting.

Fig 2-2: Accounting Approach of Forest Sink

## b) REDD

Emissions originating from deforestation and forest degradation account approximately 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the world. In order to reduce such emissions, negotiations are under way on the possible measures to provide positive incentives to “reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD)”, in accordance with the results in related activities.
## Chapter III Forest Management

### 1. Promoting the Health and Diversity of Forests

## (1) Promoting the Appropriate Forest Management

Promoting the health and diversity of forests is important for the fulfillment of the multi-functional roles of forests, including carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation.

Planted forests in Japan have been reaching their maturing ages for use as resources. Promotion of diverse forest management is also important, such as mixed broadleaf forests and long-term management forests.

Considering the current situation surrounding forests in Japan, the five-year “Forest Management Plan” was updated in April 2009 to achieve the nationwide forest management target (Fig 3-1).

The volume of forest stock in Japan has grown to 4.4 billion m $ ^{3} $ , more than double of the volume in 1940s (Fig 3-2). Large part of planted forests, mainly planted in

1950-1960's, has been reaching their maturing ages.

At this stage, implementation of proper forest management such as thinning is important.

The Forestry Agency is promoting thinning through assistance for joint thinning projects among forest owners, construction of forest road, and use of thinned wood for public works.

In order to increase the removal by forest accounted under the Kyoto Protocol, 550 thousand hectares of forest was thinned through additional financial measures from the government in FY 2008 (Fig 3-3).

Fig 3-2: Forest Area and Stock

Source: Nationwide Forest Plan (Oct.21, 2009)

Fig 3-1: Nationwide Forest Management Target

Fig 3-3: Thinned Area
## (2) Japanese Cedar Pollinosis

In Japan, the “Japanese cedar pollinosis” has been increasingly acknowledged as a nationwide problem. To address this problem, the Forestry Agency promoted the conversion of cedar forest into less-pollen cedar forests through the development and expansion of less-pollen Japanese cedar varieties (Fig 3-4).

## (3) Forest Biodiversity

The year 2010 is the “International Year of Biodiversity” proclaimed by the United Nations, and COP10 of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBO) is to be held in Nagoya, Japan. In December 2008, the Forestry Agency established the “Forest Biodiversity Working Group” composed of external experts, and the Working Group proposed the forest management direction for the conservation of forest biodiversity.

Fig 3-4: Project for Less Pollen Forests

## (4) People’s Participation in Forest Management

The number of the groups of “forest volunteers,” who have willingness to participate in voluntary forestry activities, reached as many as 2,357 in FY 2008 (Fig 3-5). Many private companies are also interested in forest management and conservation as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.

The government continues to stimulate the “National Campaign for Beautiful Forest” led by private sectors toward the target of 1) thinning of 3.3 million hectares of forests during 2007-2012, and 2) promotion of forest management looking forward to 100 years ahead.

Prefectural governments have introduced local taxation schemes exclusively used for the finance of forest management and conservation activities. Kochi prefecture introduced a tax imposition system for the first time in FY 2003, and as of FY 2009, 30 prefectures out of 47 have already introduced similar systems (Fig 3-6).

Source: Forestry Agency

Fig 3-5: Number of Forest Volunteer Groups

Use	Number of Prefecure
Forest Management (mountainous area)	30
Forest Familiarization Activity	27
Assistance for Studying about Forest	22
Assistance for Forest Volunteer Groups	22
Forest Management (satoyama area)	19
Forest Management (publicly-offered)	16
Promotion of Wood Use	13
Assistance for Thinning	10
Research and Development	6

Fig 3-6: Use of Prefectural Local Taxation
### 2. Forest Conservation and Disaster Control

## (1) Conservation Forest

Under the “Forest Act”, the “conservation forest” is designated for the forests that are particularly important for providing public benefits, such as securing water resource and preventing disasters. The total area of the conservation forests increased from 2.5 million hectares in FY 1995 to 11.9 million hectares in FY 2008 (i.e. 48% of total forest area, 32% of total land area in Japan) (Fig 3-7).

## (2) Disaster Control

In 2009, large-scale natural disasters in mountainous areas are caused by heavy rain such as “Chugoku Kyusyu-Hokubu Heavy Rain.” In response to these disasters, the Forestry Agency conducted forest conservation works in cooperation with local governments.

Source: Forestry Agency

Fig 3-7: Conservation Forest

Chugoku Kyusyu-Hokubu Heavy Rain Disaster (Jul, 2009)

Photo: Disaster in Mountainous Area

## (3) Pest, Disease, and Wildlife Control

Recently, damages of pine forests caused by pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) have been decreasing to approximately one-fourth of its peak year in 1979, but are still the worst among all forest pests and diseases in Japan (Fig 3-8). Forestry Agency has been conducting various measures to combat the nematode including the introduction of natural enemy microbe against the nematode.

Damages of deciduous oak trees (Quercus crispula) caused by oak platypodid beetle (Platypus quercivorus) were newly found in Osaka, Okayama, and Miyagi prefectures in FY 2009, and the number of the damage-found prefecture increased to 27 prefectures in total. Forestry Agency is addressing the beetle by means of communicating the information about the beetle and promoting the removal of damaged trees (Fig 3-9).

Almost 60% of forest damages by wildlife are caused by deer in Japan. The Forestry Agency is addressing deer by installing wildlife fences and controlling wildlife population.
Source: Forestry Agency

Fig 3-8: Wood Amount Damaged by Pinewood Nematode

Fig 3-9: Forest Area Damaged by Oak Platypodid Beetle

### 3. International Cooperation

## (1) States of the World’s Forest

During 2000-2005, forest area declined by four million hectares per year in Africa and South America, while increased by one million hectares per year in Asia and increased in Europe continuously. In total, forest area in the world declined by 7.3 million hectares per year during 2000-2005.

## (2) International Initiatives

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing Countries (REDD) is an important issue. The Forestry Agency held an international seminar for discussing on this issue. Japan is also leading the initiative to combat illegal logging for the promotion of the sustainable forest management in the world (Fig 3-10).

## (3) Japan's Cooperation Initiatives

Japan is promoting international cooperation, such as technical assistance and financial assistance, for the sustainable forest management in developing countries through bilateral and multilateral schemes (Fig 3-11).

Fig 3-10: Illegal Logging Issue

Region	Number of countries	Number of finished projects	Number of ongoing projects	Total number of projects
Asia and Oceania	14	52	11	63
Center and South America	11	18	7	25
Africa	8	13	3	16
Total	33	83	21	104
Source: Forestry Agency
Notes: The number of finished projects is total during FY1976-2009.

Fig 3-11: International Cooperation Projects through JICA
## Chapter IV Forestry and Mountainous Areas

### 1. Forestry

## (1) Forestry Economy

In 2008, the gross forestry output was 444.9 billion yen, approximately 38% of its record high in 1980. Among the gross output, output derived from wood production was 213.3 billion yen, 5.4% decrease from the previous year, mainly due to the decline of production and lower prices in Sugi and Hinoki (Fig 4-1).

Source: MAFF "Report of Statistics on Forestry Income Produced"

Fig 4-1: Gross Forestry Output

Average forestry income of forest owners decreased from 291 thousand yen in 2007 to 103 thousand yen in 2008. Forest owners whose forestry income has the largest share in total family income are just 1.7% of all the forest owners (Fig 4-2).

Forest ownership in Japan is characterized by a large number of small, fragmented, and scattered forest owners; almost 90% of forest owners own less than 10 hectares of forests. These forest owners tend to be reluctant in forestry practices due to low profitability (Fig 4-3).

Source: MAFF “Forestry Management Statistics”

Fig 4-2: Forestry Income

Source: MAFF “2005 Census of Agriculture and Forestry”

Fig 4-3: Forest Ownership
## (2) Forestry Contractors

Forestry contractors in Japan are roughly divided into the Forest Owners' Cooperatives and private forestry contractors including harvesting companies.

The Forest Owners’ Cooperatives are major forestry contractors in Japan, conducting more than 60% of forestry practices in Japan. As many forest owners move to urban areas and become older, they are no longer able to manage their forests by themselves. Under such conditions, there are growing demands for the Forest Owners’ Cooperatives to play an active role in forest management activities in each region (Fig 4-4).

Private forestry contractors conduct almost 60% of harvesting and log production activities. 87% of them are small corporations with annual log production volume of less than $ 5,000m^{3} $ , while 60% of total log production is conducted by relatively large corporations producing more than $ 5,000m^{3} $ a year (Fig 4-5).

In 2009, there were emerging movements that forestry contractors and civil engineering companies jointly start to conduct forestry practices and construct forest road networks. It is expected that these movements would contribute to ensure forestry workers and to revitalize economy in mountainous areas (Column 4-1).

Fig 4-4: Forestry Practices by Type of Forestry Contractors

Fig 4-5: Forestry Contractors and Log Production

## Column 4-1: Cooperation between forestry contractors and civil engineering companies

In May 2008, a council was set up by the Forest Owners' Cooperatives, civil engineering companies, and local governments in Gifu Prefecture. The council aims to ensure sustainable forest management and create jobs in mountainous areas through mutual exchanges of skills and machines. Various workshops were organized by the council and attracted many participants.
## (3) Forestry Workers

The number of forestry workers has been decreasing for the long time period, reaching 47,000 in 2005. Although the aging rate (the share of those who are aged 65 or older) is as high as 26%, the ratio of young workers is increasing.

Source: Forestry Agency

Fig 4-6: New Entrants and “Green Employment”

The number of new entrants in the forestry industry was 3,353 in 2008, thanks to the vocational training project named as the “Green Employment,” where new entrants learn introductory skills and knowledge of forestry (Fig 4-6). The Forestry Agency revised the “Fundamental Policy for Ensuring Forestry Workers” in 2010 with a view to support career development of forestry workers.

## (4) Coordination and Consolidation of Forestry Practices

As mentioned in Chapter I, coordination and consolidation of forestry practices is necessary in order to reduce log production costs and thereby to regain profitability of forestry. In particular, the “proposal-based coordination and consolidation” needs be pursued under which forestry contractors encourage forest owners in forestry practices by proposing a “forestry practice proposal” containing information on forest condition, management policy, road network plan, ways of thinning, expected revenue of wood sales, and its associated costs and other relevant data (Fig 4-7).

Since 2007, the Forest Owners’ Cooperatives has been engaged in training programs to develop “Forestry Practice Planners” who has enough skills to compile a “forestry practice proposal.” By 2009, 660 staffs from 340 forestry contractors including the Forest Owners’ Cooperatives participated in the training programs and started the proposal-based coordination and consolidation of forestry practices in each region.

Fig 4-7: Coordination and Consolidation of Forestry Practices
### 2. Mountainous Areas

## (1) Current Situation

The mountainous areas cover 60% of total forest area, or 50% of total land area in Japan. In the mountainous area, living infrastructures such as roads, water supply and sewage system, medical institutions, and schools are still inferior to urban areas. Moreover, due to the decline of agriculture and forestry that are the key industries in mountainous areas, the population in the mountainous areas continues to decrease and become older (Fig 4-8,9).

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “Population Census,” MAFF

Fig 4-8: Population and Aging Rate in Mountainous Area

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “

Fig 4-9: Difficulties in Mountainous Area

If such trend continues, public benefits of forests might be adversely affected due to the lack of proper forest management. Therefore, mountainous areas need to be maintained so that forestry activities could be sustained for the fulfillment of multi-functional roles of forest.

## (2) Revitalizing Mountainous Areas

The Forestry Agency is committed to the promotion of settlement in mountainous areas through the improvement of living conditions, invitation of tourists and visitors from urban cities, increase of employment in forestry sector, and creation of business opportunities utilizing indigenous resources; nature, culture, and tradition.

In May 2009, the “Center for Mountainous Area Revitalization” was established, with the aim to tie mountainous communities to urban business enterprises and also to support endogenous initiatives to develop and utilize forest resources in mountainous areas.

## Column 4-2: Exchange between City and Village

Kawaba Village in Gunma prefecture and Setagaya Ward in Tokyo continue mutual exchanges on forest management and conservation activities since 1981.
## Chapter V Wood Supply/Demand and Wood Products Industry

### 1. Wood Supply/Demand

## (1) Trend of Wood Supply/Demand

Industrial wood demand in Japan fell to 78 million $ m^{3} $ in 2008, 5.3% decrease compared to the previous year, due to the decrease of new housing starts and economic downturn since autumn in 2008. It was the first time in 42 years that the volume of wood demand went under 80 million $ m^{3} $ in Japan.

Domestic wood supply, particularly for pulp, chip and plywood use, increased slightly, while imported wood supply deceased considerably. As a result, the self-sufficiency rate of wood reached as high as 24.0% in 2008 (Fig 5-1).

Source: Forestry Agency

Fig 5-1: Industrial Wood Supply and Self-sufficiency Rate

## (2) World Wood Trade

According to FAO statistics, world industrial roundwood consumption was 1.56 billion $ m^{3} $ in 2008, 4% increase from ten year before. World wood demand has been growing over the long term. Import of industrial roundwood and export of plywood of China have been increasing. Export of industrial roundwood and
sawnwood from Russia has also been increasing. Import/export of these two countries would substantially influence world wood supply/demand (Fig 5-2,3).

Fig 5-2: World Wood Import

Source: FAOSTAT

Fig 5-3: World Wood Export

## (3) Wood Use from Responsible Forestry

More and more people in Japan tend to use legally harvested wood as a contribution to sustainable forest management. Forest area certificated by FSC and SGEC is increasing year by year (Fig 5-4).

Fig 5-4: Certificated Forest Area

## (4) Wood Price

Wood price decreased in 2009 due to the decline of demand caused by the worldwide economic crisis since autumn in 2008. The price of domestically-produced roundwood and wood products has been declining over the long term (Fig 5-5,6).
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery

Fig 5-5: Price of Roundwood

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery

Fig 5-6: Price of Wood Products

## (5) Non-wood Forest Products

Non-wood forest products, including mushrooms, wild vegetables, edible nuts, and charcoals, are important for stimulating economy and ensuring job opportunity in mountainous areas. The production of non-wood forest products was valued as 303 billion yen in 2008, 90% of which account for mushrooms (Fig 5-7).

Source: Forestry Agency

Fig 5-7: Production of Mushrooms

### 2. Wood Products Industry and Domestic Wood Use

## (1) Wood Products Industry

The number of new housing starts in Japan fell to 790 thousand units in 2009, 28% decrease compared to the previous year, due to economic downturn since autumn in 2008. It was the first time in 45 years that the number went under 800 thousand units. The share of wooden structure increased to 55% (Fig 5-8). While the number of small-scale sawmills has been substantially decreasing, large-scale sawmills, which account for only 6% of total number of mills, use 57% of the total material input (Fig 5-9).

Demand for structural plywood and kiln-dried wood is growing, due to the consumer’s needs for wood