Still, even before the 2023 government declaration, some local actors and non-profits had begun efforts to turn these forests into biodiverse ecosystems, and some are already seeing the benefits. The small town of Nishiawakura, Okayama, for example, has created an entire economy around reducing the 84% of its forests made up only of hinoki and sugi, turning wood into heat for eel farms as well as chopsticks and timber.
In 2020, Kobe, a larger port city in central Japan with a dense urban core and vast forests within its city limits, began an effort to turn more than 180 hectares (445 acres) of plantation back into natural broadleaf forests in a 15-year cycle.
Every year, an area is selectively clear-cut, removing sugi, hinoki but also other invasive species like bamboo. Broadleaf trees are left, and with more sun coming through to the ground, they grow back, along with other new seedlings either planted by staff or brought by birds or animals.
With its scheme now about halfway done, local government workers say they have been pleasantly surprised by how quickly biodiversity has returned.
“Our wildlife monitoring is showing more animals and insects returning, including badgers, pond turtles, many species of frogs, and rare insects too, which is encouraging,” says Atsushi Okada, head of the Kobe City Environmental Bureau.
As well as addressing the pollen issue, the scheme aims to fulfil the Kobe’s pledge to increase its protected areas to 30% of all land by 2030. More diverse forests should also protect the city against the landslides and natural disasters poised to become more frequent due to climate change, says Daisuke Tochimoto, a forester with the City of Kobe.
As for the cut trees, they are used for heating, furniture production and Japanese white charcoal, a smoke-free barbeque fuel which could also be used in industrial processes. The hope is that, over time, the project can become financially sustainable and not reliant on public funds, says Okada.
An epic challenge
Similar projects are beginning in other parts of Japan. One project in Hotani, Osaka, is now restoring wetlands and grasslands. And the largest effort aims to turn 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of plantation forests in Gumna prefecture to meadows and mixed deciduous woodland.
Kobe’s dense urban core is surrounded by vast forests, including both mixed woodlands and sugi plantations – a significant cause of hay fever
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