Shinshu larch transforms from a landscape resource into a forestry resource: Technological innovation and branding pave the way for the future of forestry forestry
Updated by Sogo Kato on September 17, 2025, 9:29 PM JST
Sougo KATO
Leaf Rain Co.
After working for a financial institution researching companies in the high-tech field, he worked as a supervisor at a landscape construction site before setting up his own business. He is interested in the materials industry, renewable energy, and wood utilization, and in recent years he has been writing about the forestry industry. With his experience of working in the forests in the past, he aims to write articles that explore the connection between the realities of the field and the industrial structure.
When one hears the words "Karuizawa" or "Hakuba," many people think of resort destinations. Fresh air, magnificent mountain ranges, Western-style architecture, and the culture of vacation homes. The combination of these elements has created the unique atmosphere of the area. Behind this is the larch forests that cover the mountains. These deciduous coniferous trees, widely planted in Japan, change their appearance dramatically in the four seasons: fresh green in spring, deep green in summer, golden in autumn, and transparent in winter. These changes give shades to the highland landscape and have created an exotic atmosphere. In addition, larch was planted in large numbers during postwar afforestation, and now accounts for about 50% of Nagano Prefecture's planted forests. However, as a material, larch tends to warp when it dries, and has long been avoided in the construction field and used for limited purposes such as pallets and packing materials.
So why is it attracting attention now? Behind this is the growing trend toward wood construction in non-residential buildings and the maturity of processing technologies such as laminated lumber and CLT. In Karuizawa and Hakuba, examples of construction linked to local brands have emerged, and Shinshu larch is beginning to assume a new role, from a landscape resource to a forestry resource.
Larch began to attract attention in earnest in the architectural field with the 2010 Law for the Promotion of the Utilization of Wood in Japan, which expanded the use of domestic lumber. Behind this trend, however, lies more than half a century of trial and error. The larch trees planted in large numbers in the mountains of Nagano after World War II were abundant, but their high oil content and tendency to warp and crack when dried caused them to be shunned as a building material. Research institutes and woodworking firms therefore looked for a way to make use of larch for small-scale applications, such as furniture.
In the 1950s, the prefectural experiment station conducted research on processing such as degreasing and drying, and furniture craftsmen adopted the results and tried their hand at making study desks and chairs. Through repeated trial and error, the company eventually popularized several thousand units for schools. Furniture that made use of the powerful grain of the wood showed the potential of larch in everyday life.
This accumulation has led to the spread of laminated lumber and CLT in the 21st century. Advances in drying and gluing technologies have made it possible to supply larch, which was once considered difficult to handle, as a stable structural material. In other words, the use of larch in Karuizawa and Hakuba is not a sudden innovation, but the result of a long period of research and practice that has finally borne fruit.
The name "Shinshu" itself is a brand for Nagano. The cool climate and mountainous terrain have nurtured soba (buckwheat noodles), wine, and highland vegetables, creating an image of purity and sophistication. Karuizawa first attracted the attention of foreign missionaries as a summer resort during the Meiji period (1868-1912), and developed into an international resort with a fusion of villa culture and Western-style architecture. Hakuba became a snow resort crowded with foreigners after the postwar ski fever and the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Behind these developments lies the existence of larch forests, which change their expression with each season. The fresh green of spring, the golden color of fall, and the translucent form of the trees in winter - they are not the mainstay of the landscape, but they add shade to the Karuizawa and Hakuba landscapes, creating a resort atmosphere different from other mountainous areas. In other words, Shinshu larch is not only a forest resource, but also a scenic resource that has subtly supported the resort culture.
In recent years, architecture utilizing Shinshu larch has emerged. The Hotel Indigo in Karuizawa uses locally grown larch for structural members, and translates culture into an experience by combining fireplaces, dining with local ingredients, and art in the hotel. The fact that the hotel uses lumber from Shinshu is a differentiator in itself, strengthening the hotel and the local brand.
KANOLLY Resorts, a lodging facility in Hakuba, Japan, is another symbolic example. In order to cope with heavy snowfall, the triangular roof, which is modeled after the Gassho-zukuri style, is made in a geese pattern, taking snow load and privacy into consideration. The regional character of the building is expressed from the materials procured: laminated larch from Suwa Prefecture was used for the structure, Suwa-produced Teppei stone was used for the exterior, and Hakuba stone was used for the exterior. The larch that shaped the landscape here is visualized as a resource in both structure and design, and creates value for the experience.
These redefine the Shinshu larch from a "landscape resource" to an "architectural resource" and give it a new positioning. Brand value becomes competitive when the product and the experience are linked, as is the case with wine and agricultural products. Rather than competing with imported lumber on price, the possibility of differentiation as a "material that allows people to experience the region" has become apparent.
Shinshu larch has demonstrated its spatial value in hotel construction in Karuizawa and Hakuba, proving its attractiveness. But its adoption in luxury resorts is only the beginning. The challenge is that, like wine and food, it is not consumed repeatedly and has few daily contacts, making it difficult to link its name directly to the experience.
That is why it is important to strategically communicate the message of "using Shinshu larch" in the future, and to link the experience to the name. If this can be achieved, it will lead to nationwide recognition and increased demand, and not only will it be recognized as "brand-name timber for experiencing the region" that cannot be compared to imported timber, but it could also serve as a model case for the domestic forestry industry to break free from price competition. (Sogo Kato, Forestry Writer, Leaf Rain Co.)
