Updated by "Forest Circular Economy" Editorial Board on April 14, 2026, 8:20 PM 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.
Many people may feel that the forestry industry is a world that they have little connection with. However, we live surrounded by “forest products” obtained from forests. Firewood, woodwork, aroma oil, and mushrooms are just a few examples. In recent years, more and more women are joining the forestry industry, but the physical strength required to work in the field, such as logging and hauling out trees, is still a hurdle to overcome. However, the path to getting involved with forests can be much wider if it takes the form of "craftsmanship. In this issue, we introduce five Instagram accounts where you can see the activities of women in the forestry industry who bring the bounty of the forest into our daily lives through their handiwork.
Komorebi Forestry, based in Masuda City and Hittomi Town, Shimane Prefecture, is a forestry team engaged in local forest development as a group of private entrepreneurs. They are involved in everything from the care of the mountains to the recycling of resources, including the maintenance of work paths, logging, and the use of thinned timber, and they introduce their activities on Instagram.
Shimane Prefecture is rich in “special forest products” such as shiitake mushrooms, horseradish, and wild vegetables as well as lumber such as Japanese cedar and cypress. Blessed with clear streams and a climate that varies in temperature, the town of Hittimi is known as a treasure house of wild vegetables. In the April issue of Komorebi Forestry, a post describes the harvest of koshibara, the queen of wild vegetables.
Forestry is not only about the powerful logging. Women can also get involved with forests in their own unique way through “craftsmanship” and forest products that make the most of the forest's bounty.
Based in Tsushima City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Tsushima Lumber is a community-based forestry company that utilizes the bounty of the forest without waste, from logging to lumbering to firewood production. In recent years, demand for firewood has increased along with the rising popularity of camping, saunas, and wood stoves. The comfort of watching a fire is being reevaluated, and firewood is once again coming into the limelight as an item that connects forests and daily life.
In Tsushima Lumber's contribution, a part-time female worker is shown chopping firewood one by one. The use of machinery makes heavy labor much easier, and makes us realize that "women can be involved in the forestry field as well.
In recent years, the performance of machinery has improved, and the opportunities for women to be active in the forestry industry have gradually expanded. A new form of forestry, one that does not rely solely on strength, but also on skill and sensitivity in dealing with the forest, is being nurtured in Tsushima Prefecture.
Muto Forestry is a forestry company based in Yamagata Prefecture. The company also engages in secondary industries such as firewood, Swedish torches, and woodwork, bringing the joy of utilizing the bounty of the forest in our daily lives.
On Instagram, powerful felling operations are introduced, and the hand maneuvering the chainsaw and the moment when the tree falls is a sight to behold. In addition, posts introducing Swedish torches, bonfires, and flowerpots show the joy of decorating everyday life with things born from the forest.
Logs for shiitake mushrooms are also available for sale, making it easy for even beginners to try their hand. The unique charm of this account is that through the experience of growing forest products with your own hands, you can learn the joy of being closely involved with forests and trees.
Located in the satoyama of Tamba Sasayama, Hyogo Prefecture, “mocca” is a community facility that connects people with the forest through a café and woodworking workshops. Based on the concept of "adding trees to daily life," mocca promotes the richness of living in harmony with nature through a variety of activities such as a forestry club, a hunting club, and a mountain activity club.
A notable contribution is gibier cuisine. Gibier is not only a delicacy, but has been attracting renewed attention in recent years as a regional resource, and is closely related to population management and forest conservation. The life caught in the mountains of Tamba is not wasted, and eating it deliciously is one way to make the most of the bounty of the forests cared for by the forestry industry.
mizukin farm" grows log shiitake mushrooms in Kikuchi, Kumamoto Prefecture. Kikuchi, Kumamoto is known as a production center of umami-flavored shiitake mushrooms because of its clear water and climate with a wide range of temperatures.
Aromatic shiitake mushrooms grown in the forest are a forest product that is truly “harvested from the life of the trees. The logs used for cultivation are hardwoods such as sawtooth oak and konara oak, and they are carefully nurtured from inoculation to harvest, facing nature throughout the year, while carefully monitoring the climate and humidity. In addition, the leaves of the sawtooth oak are spread under the logs to prevent mud from being splashed, and are eventually returned to the soil, demonstrating the wisdom of utilizing forest resources without waste.
In the post, the fungi-striking process is shown. Although it may not look like a simple process, it is an important process in which patience and love are put into every single step. Knowing the handiwork of the mushroom makers, you will want to taste the mushrooms that you usually eat without thinking about them.
