1992 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Comparative study of forestry in Japan and US
| Project/Area Number |
02660150
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
林学
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| Research Institution | KYOTO UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
MURASHIMA Yoshinao Kyoto University Agriculture Professor, 農学部, 教授 (20012073)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
MORI Yoshiaki Kyoto University Agriculture Lecturer, 農学部, 講師 (60026474)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1990 – 1992
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| Keywords | Wood industry / Tree farm / Pulp and paper industry / Self-sufficiency / M & A / Japan-US timber trade / Restructuring / Imported wood products |
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| Research Abstract |
This project had two objectives. One was to clarify the situation of "tree farming" styled forestry to compare with "timber mining" styled forestry in recent North America, and to examine its capability of exporting timber to Japan. The other was to analyze the competition between our domestic forest products and imported ones from North America. We made the following five points clear. 1. North American forestry is in transition period from timber mining to tree farming. Timber production from old growth forests is decreasing and that from second growth forests is increasing. This results in keen competition between producers in different regions and expansion of timber export to Japan. 2. Harvest from old growth forests is sharply declined by the power of environmental movement, and the production from public forests is under some restrictions. This makes wood and fiber industry have large market power.3. An appreciation of yen since 1985 strongly promoted the import of wood and fiber, shifting from materials to products, and self-sufficient rate of forest products became only 25% in Japan today. 4. At the same time, strong yen also promoted overseas economic activity of Japanese companies. M & A of North American companies and reforestation practices in developing countries by Japanese pulp and paper companies were the examples. Some of the timber production and sales companies also began to invest in foreign countries. 5. Imported timber, domestic-sawn timber, and domestic timber compete one another fiercely in construction timber market. Domestic forestry is shrinking under this situation, therefore adequate forest resource management system is critically required.
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