Three areas to create the future / "Circular circle" to cut down trees, utilize them, and fix them in the city
Updated by Hiroshi Komiyama on June 02, 2025, 5:20 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 the 28th President of the University of Tokyo, he was appointed Chairman of the Mitsubishi Research Institute in 2009, and Chairman of the Platinum Initiative Network in 2010 (to be incorporated as a general incorporated association in 2022). Other positions include President of the STS Forum, Chairman of the Association for Super-Education, Chairman of the United Nations University Cooperation Foundation, Chairman of the International Science and Technology Foundation, Chairman of the Ichimura Global Environmental Science Prize Review Committee, and Chairman of the Decarbon Challenge Cup Executive Committee. He is also a recipient of the Dubai Knowledge Award (2017), the Order of the Star of Solidarity of Italy (2007.) and "Information and Communication Month" Commendation from the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications (2014), the Zaikai Award Special Prize (2016), and the Commendation for Merit in Promoting a Maritime Nation (2016), among many other national and international awards.
Cutting down trees to protect forests - that's what we do. This may seem intuitively contradictory. However, as we saw earlier, trees lose their ability to absorb CO2 as they grow, and as they age, they lose their function as carbon stores. What is needed, then, is to turn the cycle of regeneration into one of "cutting down, using, planting, and growing. In other words, the key to utilizing forests as a resource is to build a cycle that uses up all the wood in society while regenerating the forests. To realize this cycle, the three areas of forestry, biomass chemistry, and wooden cities are working in tandem. These form the core of the Platinum Forest Industry Initiative. The important point is that the cycle cannot be established in any one of these areas. The cycle cannot be established by simply cutting down trees (forestry). Biomass chemistry and wooden cities are the "demand receivers" that use up the trees that have been cut down.
Forestry is the first "entry point" to the forest resource. In order to use forest resources, they must first be logged. In Japan today, however, "logging" itself is a major hurdle. One of the reasons is low economic profitability. With the large volume of inexpensive timber coming in from overseas, domestic timber has lost its price competitiveness, and the profitability of the forestry industry has declined significantly. In addition, the current situation makes it difficult to manage the mountains on a large scale, as the owners of the mountains are unknown or too divided. The aging of the forestry workforce, inadequate roads, and a lack of forestry machinery are also contributing to the situation. Nevertheless, we must keep the forestry industry moving. This is because "care" - cutting, planting, and nurturing - is essential for forests to regenerate and continue to absorb carbon. Moreover, Japan's forests are now in the midst of a period when they need to be cut down. The cedar and cypress trees that were planted en masse after World War II have already reached their harvesting stage, and their value as timber has increased. It is truly "a loss if we don't move them.
In order to achieve this, it is first necessary for society to understand the "reasons for logging" and the "ways out after logging," and to be able to clearly see demand. The forestry industry is an industry that cannot stand on its own, but it has the potential to regain its profit structure by linking it with other areas, such as biomass chemistry and wooden construction.Platinum Forest Industry InitiativeIn the "Forestry Reboot" project, a platform is being created to "reboot" the forestry industry from the perspectives of improving ownership information, consolidating land by region, labor-saving operations, and connecting with the demand side.
How should trees harvested in the forestry industry be utilized? Of course, trees can be used for building materials and furniture, but these alone are not enough to take advantage of the vast amount of forest resources. This is where the concept of "using trees as a chemical resource" becomes important. This area is called biomass chemistry and has been attracting attention rapidly in recent years. Wood contains many organic components such as cellulose and lignin. These can be used as raw materials to replace chemical products made from petroleum, such as plastics, synthetic fibers, and adhesives. Lignin, in particular, is a byproduct of wood pulp production that has been produced in large quantities and has not been utilized to any great extent. However, technology has now been developed to utilize lignin as a raw material for bioplastics, and efforts are underway to put this technology to practical use.
Furthermore, biomass chemistry is directly linked to the realization of a "decarbonized society. This is because plant-derived materials absorb CO2 during their growth process, making them carbon neutral (emissions and absorption are offset) when burned after processing and use. In addition, the creation of products without the use of fossil resources leads to resource diversification = economic security. For the development of biomass chemistry, not only technological innovation, but also a stable supply of raw materials = collaboration with the forestry industry is essential. It is also necessary to have an "outlet" to utilize the generated materials, i.e., a place for industrial demand in the form of construction materials, components, and consumer goods. In this sense, an era in which forestry, wood processing, and the chemical industry are "connected" through forests is just beginning.
The third major circle that completes the cycle of forest resources is the "wooden city. Until now, it has been commonplace for cities to be made of concrete and steel. In recent years, however, "wooden cities" have become the norm.CLT (orthogonal laminated timber)and "LVL (laminated veneer lumber)Thanks to technological innovations such as wood, it is now possible to build high-rise buildings even with wood. In fact, wooden buildings with more than 10 stories are being constructed one after another around the world. The greatest value of the wooden city concept is that the city itself will become a carbon storage facility. Wood used as building material keeps carbon in society for decades to more than 100 years. In other words, the CO2 absorbed in the mountains "settles" in the city.
Wooden construction is also an "environmentally friendly" building method that consumes less energy. It has excellent heat insulation properties, generates less noise and waste materials during construction, and contributes to the creation of urban environments that feel in harmony with nature. The expansion of wooden cities is also extremely important for the forestry industry. This is because it will create new demand for high-quality, high-volume timber. Without demand, the forestry industry will not be able to operate. The spread of wooden construction in urban areas will serve as an outlet for forest resources, while at the same time supporting the forestry industry in terms of creating demand. It is recommended that local timber be used for this purpose. This also means rebuilding the "resource pipeline" that connects urban and rural areas.
These three areas - forestry, biomass chemistry, and wooden cities - are not independent industries, but rather a system of cycles that support each other. If one of them stops, the others will also cease to exist. Even if trees are cut down, if there is no use for them, the forestry industry will not continue. Even if you have the technology, if you don't have the supply, you don't have the product. To make building materials, a stable quality and supply system is necessary.
That is why the Platinum Forest Industry Initiative aims to move these three areas simultaneously, connecting society as a whole to the forest cycle.
Today, Japan's forests are quietly sleeping. They are simply there, unattended, untouched, and untended. But the truth is, these forests can do more. They can work more. They can support society. That is what we believe. And the Platinum Forest Industry Initiative was started to "move" these forests. As we have seen, Japan has abundant forests and technology. All the pieces are in place: forestry to cut down the trees, biomass chemistry to convert them into materials, and wooden architecture to fix them in cities.
And yet, they are not "connected" yet. Each of them is working on its own, but not as a whole in a big cycle. So, why don't we connect them? Let's turn them around. Let's make the cycle that begins in the forest into a social system. With this idea as a starting point, the Platinum Forest Industry Initiative was launched.
This network is more than just a framework for collaboration; it is a grand social project that seriously aims to transform Japan into a "resource self-sufficient nation" by the year 2050, a clear future goal. More than 220 local governments and over 170 companies and organizations throughout Japan are participating in this project. The private sector, government, and academia are all working hand in hand in this "experiment in circulation" to maximize the use of local resources. This may not yet be a major effort. However, when all of them are connected, Japan as a whole has the potential to move toward a "society that protects while it uses.
At the core of this concept is the idea of "transforming being with nature into abundance. Cutting down trees for use, local energy production, and resource cultivation are all presented as options for "living more comfortably, more happily, and more wisely," rather than "enduring in order to protect the earth. We are all presented as choices to make our lives more comfortable, more enjoyable, and smarter.
Forests are the hope of Japan. As resources dug from the ground are coming to an end, it is time for us to look above ground. Using our local forests, transforming trees into new value, and fixing carbon in cities. This series of cycles will energize local communities and provide a "foundation for the future" that will support the entire country in a flexible manner.
Only 25 years to 2050. There is not much time left. But it is not too late. Let's create a society that makes use of our forests as a resource - in this country! (Hiroshi Komiyama, Chairman, Platinum Network)
