Time to rethink the "hidden wealth" of forests
Updated by Hiroshi Komiyama on May 13, 2025, 3:58 PM JST
Hiroshi KOMIYAMA
（Platinum Initiative Network, Inc.
After serving as Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Tokyo, Dean of the Graduate School of Engineering and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Director and Vice President of the University of Tokyo, and President of the University of Tokyo (28th), he became Chairman of Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc. in 2009, and Chairman of the Platinum Initiative Network in 2010 (to be incorporated as a general incorporated association in 2022). He has also served as President of the Society of Chemical Engineers (2002), President of the Japan Association of National Universities (2007), President of the Association for Further Education, President of the United Nations University Cooperation Foundation, and Chairman of the Ichimura Global Environmental Science Prize Review Committee.
Japan is a country without resources. We have heard these words many times at school and in the news. That is why energy security is so important. That is why we have no choice but to rely on resource imports. But is this really true? Is Japan really a resource-poor country? We need to reexamine this question.
In fact, about two-thirds of Japan's land area is covered by forests. This is one of the highest forest coverage rates among developed countries, and the country boasts a world-class green density. These forests are also a treasure trove of "renewable resources" called timber. In other words, a resource that has long been thought to be "scarce" is in fact "right in front of our eyes.
Then, why has it been said that "Japan has no resources"? It is because Japanese society up to now has used underground resources - oil, coal, iron ore, etc. - as the "standard for resources. They are dug out of the ground, refined, burned, processed, and used. This "once and done" type of resource use has supported Japan's growth in the 20th century.
In that era, the value of forests was not fully appreciated. Trees were regarded as useless, time-consuming to grow, and inefficient. In addition, the increase in inexpensive imported timber spurred the gradual decline of the domestic forestry industry. As a result, the self-sufficiency rate of domestic timber has declined significantly, and the true potential of forests has gone unutilized for a long time.
On the other hand, many of Japan's planted forests have already reached an age when they are suitable for harvesting. For example, cedar and cypress trees, which were planted en masse during the postwar reconstruction period, are now 50 or 60 years old and are at their most valuable as resources. Nevertheless, there are mountains spread across the country that have not been sufficiently cut down, are not being used, and are left unattended. In other words, Japan actually has abundant forest resources, but the system for utilizing them has been stagnant.
Let's change our perspective here. With underground resources, once you dig them up and use them, you are done. Forests, however, are different. Even after a tree is cut down, another seedling is planted and nurtured, and the next tree grows. It takes time and effort, but resources can be generated from the same place over and over again. In other words, forests are a model case of a renewable resource. Moreover, these resources can be completed domestically. There is no need to rely on imports, which leads to energy security and economic stability. It is not just about timber. There are a wide range of possibilities for forest-based industries, including biomass fuels, bioplastics, raw materials for pharmaceuticals, water source conservation, and tourism.
More importantly, forests are "natural stores" of carbon. In the global challenge of addressing climate change, the "cyclic use of forests" - cutting down trees and letting them grow - can be an effective means of removing CO2 from the atmosphere and sequestering it for a long time. Now is the time for us to get away from the old values of "resources = what is in the ground. It is time to take a fresh look at Japan's original "above-ground resources," namely, the renewable resources of forests. Japan is not a country without resources, but a country with resources that are not being used. It is a country that has been using them in the wrong way. But from now on, we can change our social structure to "protect, nurture, and use" these resources.
We need to get the trees, the forests, and the entire industry that supports them moving again. This is the "form of sustainable growth" we should choose for the next generation. (Hiroshi Komiyama, Chairman, Platinum Initiative Network)
