Updated by "Forest Circular Economy" Editorial Board on August 28, 2025, 10:34 AM JST
Editorial Board, Forest Circular Economy
Forestcircularity-editor
We aim to realize "Vision 2050: Japan Shines, Forest Circular Economy" promoted by the Platinum Forest Industry Initiative. We will disseminate ideas and initiatives to promote biomass chemistry, realize woody and lumbery communities, and encourage innovation in the forestry industry in order to fully utilize forest resources to decarbonize the economy, strengthen economic security, and create local communities.
Watahan Kenzai Corporation, a general wood construction materials manufacturer, acquired approximately 1,500 hectares of forestland in Sendai, Iida City, Nagano Prefecture, from the Noike Airin Agricultural Cooperative Association on August 27. Under the philosophy of "Thinking about the forest 100 years from now," the company will embark on forest restoration in Nagano Prefecture, where the revitalization of the forestry industry has become an issue.
This initiative is part of the company's proprietary ReFI (Re Forest Innovation) project, which aims to pass on healthy forest resources to the next generation. The project aims to establish a sustainable cycle of "logging, using, planting, and nurturing" to achieve both forest conservation and business.
The wood from the acquired forests and the surrounding areas of Iida City will be widely used as fuel chips for wood biomass power generation, as well as structural and interior materials for housing. The products will be sold at Watahan HomeAid, a group company's home improvement center, and will also be used in non-housing wooden construction and exported overseas.
Although Nagano Prefecture is one of the leading forest prefectures in Japan, it ranks only 36th in log production. Many of the forests are aging and have reached the point where they would normally be cut down or renewed. With the aging of forestry workers and the shortage of successors, this initiative, led by local companies, is attracting attention as a new model case for the utilization of forest resources in Japan.
