Symposium "Building the Future with Wood!" Held Aiming for a Rich Life with High Wood Self-Sufficiency

A symposium themed on sustainable forests and wood utilization, "Building the Future with Wood! 'Where Does That Wood Come From?' Creating a Rich Lifestyle with Local Wood" (Hosted by: The Asahi Shimbun, The Yomiuri Shimbun; Supported by: Forestry Agency), was held on September 29 at Iino Hall in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.

Despite Japan having the third-highest forest coverage among developed nations at 68.5%, its timber self-sufficiency rate remains low at approximately 30%. In his keynote address, Prime Minister's Assistant Yoji Izumi emphasized the urgent need to promote timber use, including from an environmental perspective. Landscape architect and Tokyo City University Professor Masayuki Wakui stressed the importance of forest conservation through effective timber utilization.

The panel discussion featured Professor Emeritus Naoto Ando of the University of Tokyo; Akira Ichikawa, Vice Chairman of the Keidanren Nature Conservation Council (President of Sumitomo Forestry); Hiroyuki Suematsu, Director-General of the Forestry Policy Department at the Forestry Agency; and talent Kaori Manabe (pictured). They discussed various aspects of the "future of wood."