Updated by "Forest Circular Economy" Editorial Board on April 20, 2026, 5:51 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.
The movement of forest-derived J-credits is shifting from the establishment of creation methods to the creation of concrete "demand" in the real world. Energy companies are making strategic purchases, regional financial institutions are developing corporate products, and the tourism sector is making use of offsets, among other concrete efforts on the demand side. These initiatives are not only creating a financial cycle for forest maintenance, but are also creating new economic value as a key to directly linking regional development and corporate GX (Green Transformation).
Oita Prefecture and ENEOS signed an agreement on March 27 for the purchase and sale of forest-derived J-credits generated from prefectural forests. ENEOS, which operates the Oita Refinery, will purchase the credits created by Oita Prefecture and use them in its own efforts to become carbon neutral. A cycle has been established in which profits from the sale of the credits are reinvested in forest maintenance and forestry promotion in the prefecture, and this structure, in which an energy company supports the circulation of forest resources in the region, is attracting attention as a locally produced, locally consumed decarbonization model.
*Reference link
Conclusion of Oita Prefectural Forest J-Credit Purchase and Sales Agreement | Oita Prefecture
Conclusion of Oita Prefectural Forest J-Credit Trading Agreement - Accelerating the use of forest-based J-credits within Oita Prefecture - | ENEOS Corporation
The "AiGin J-Credit Time Deposit," established in cooperation between Bi-Will and Aichi Bank, sold out early, with 10.8 billion yen deposited out of the total 10 billion yen offered. This product, which provides carbon offsets through J-Credits derived from forests in the Tokai area through deposits, has captured the high interest of corporations in environmental values. The success of this model, in which BuyWill supports the procurement of credits and the establishment of the scheme, and the bank takes charge of sales, shows that J-credits have high potential not only as a business-to-business transaction, but also as a regional financial product.
*Reference link
Aigin J-Credit Time Deposit" structured in collaboration with Bi-Will and Aichi Bank sold out early due to reaching the total amount offered | Bi-Will, Inc.
Termination of "Aigin J-Credit Time Deposit" due to Reaching Total Subscription Amount｜Aichi Bank, Ltd.
Creatura has completed the creation and certification of forest-derived J-credits for the first time in Tokyo at an artificial forest in Hinohara Village, Tokyo, owned by Tokyo Chainsaw's. The unique feature of this verification experiment is that it utilizes open data such as aerial laser survey data and orthoimagery made available by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to achieve a significant improvement in efficiency compared to conventional methods. By substituting digital data for current surveys such as tree height measurement in vast forests, the project sought to both curb creation costs and improve accuracy. The demonstration of this labor-saving model is expected to serve as an example of how to accelerate the creation of credits for forest management in urban and suburban areas and in other municipalities.
The Sera County Forest Association in Hiroshima Prefecture and Hitachi Systems have launched a collaborative project to create carbon credits. Combining data analysis technology and forest maintenance expertise, the project will use aerial laser survey data and other data to reduce the burden on the field while developing forest maintenance plans and creating and selling credits. The credits created will be sold to companies in the Chugoku region to encourage local decarbonization through local production for local consumption, and will also be offered to companies nationwide. The goal is to build a model for sustainable forest management that efficiently visualizes the environmental value of local forests and returns profits to forest maintenance.
*Reference link
Hitachi Systems and Sera-gun Forestry Cooperative Launch Collaboration to Generate Carbon Credits | Hitachi Systems, Ltd.
JR East View Tourism & Sales purchased 167t-CO2 of J-credits originating from forests in the eastern Japan area to offset carbon emissions from group travel products for the first half of fiscal 2025. With this offset, the company's cumulative offset amount reached 1,149t-CO2. This initiative, in which the company, which is deeply involved with local natural resources through its travel business, provides economic support for forest maintenance through the purchase of credits, can be considered a recycling model that symbolizes sustainable tourism.
