New Basic Plan for Forests and Forestry (2021).

The Forest and Forestry Basic Act directs Japan’s Forestry Agency (FA) to update its Forest and Forestry Basic Plan every five years. This New Basic Plan for Forests and Forestry aims to appropriately manage, grow and develop forests while increasing the sustainability of the forestry and timber industries, so as to realize a prosperous society and economy with a view to carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Plan encourages the development of initiatives for a “new forestry” through innovation. The Plan proposes: to improve income and occupational safety of forestry workers, foster long-term and sustainable forestry management, and expand the use of forest-harvesting machinery and promote reforestation through the planting of new varieties of fast-growing trees.
In terms of appropriate management and use of forest resources, the Plan proposes: 1. Securing appropriate logging and reforestation; 2. Forest development of mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests; 3. National resilience through forest maintenance and conservation measures; 4. Thinning and reforestation Enhancing the securing of forest absorption.
To facilitate the competitiveness of Japanese wood products in the domestic construction market, the Plan also encourages collaboration across Japanese ministries to increase wood utilization in remodelling and construction of non-residential buildings. The Plan specifically targets increased use of Japan Agriculture Standard (JAS) certified domestic kiln-dried lumber, engineered wood products and dimension lumber in the domestic construction market. For the creation of “Secondary Forests” in cities, etc., the Plan promotes: 1. Use of wood in urban and non-residential sectors, etc.; 2. Use of fire-resistant materials, standardization of design specifications; 2. Promotion of export of wood products, use of biomass for thermoelectricity.
For the creation of new values for mountain villages, the Plan promotes: 1.Utilization of local resources (combined agriculture and forestry, mushrooms, etc.); 2. Maintenance and revitalization of communities (cooperative activities such as Satoyama management); 3. Promotion of forest service industry, expansion of related population.