NISHIAWAKURA, OKAYAMA PREF. ¨C Threading through the woodlands encircling Nishiawakura, a village in a mountainous area of Okayama Prefecture wedged against the borders of both Hyogo and Tottori prefectures, an international group of curious outdoor enthusiasts follows closely behind tour guide Futoshi Nishioka.
Approaching the intersection of two adjacent forests, Nishioka gestures toward one side where evenly spaced rows of sugi (cedar) and hinoki (Japanese cypress) trees tower overhead in a seemingly endless stretch. This type of artificial forest accounts for around 85% of the village¡¯s total forestland, he explains ¡ª a figure reflective of Japan¡¯s post-WWII history, when coniferous trees were planted nationwide in order to quickly reforest areas devastated by war, while also meeting the surging demand for timber as the country rebuilt.
Noting the tendency of such trees to crowd out other types, Nishioka jokes, ¡°You might describe them as homogenous Showa Era company workers.¡±
Next, motioning toward the abutting zone ¡ª the Wakasugi Primeval Forest, whose wild tangle of tree species includes mizunara (Quercus crispula), maple and horse chestnut ¡ª Nishioka continues his analogy by noting that the natural forestland comprising the remaining 15% features both diversity and competition, and thereby more closely resembles society today. Local efforts are underway to cultivate such biodiversity, he explains, to help restore the healthy wild forestland that existed some 400 to 500 years ago ¡ª before which time charcoal was burned to produce iron for the local tatara iron-smelting industry.
This type of committed approach toward biodiversity is a significant part of what has helped Nishiawakura ¡ª with a population of 1,300 and covered in 95% forestland ¡ª earn increasing nationwide recognition for its innovative forest health management initiatives, which have served as a model for other communities.
A forest-forward ethos
Despite having the weakest economy in the prefecture, Nishiawakura declined in 2004 to join a merger with surrounding areas, opting instead to launch a multipronged effort toward sustainable forest management, robust economic health and strengthened local relations.
In 2008, the village announced a 100-year plan to promote forest health through measures including structured thinning of its artificially planted sugi and hinoki trees. The project, which recognized an inter-generational nexus aiming to ensure long-term forest health, received certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Japan.
Nishiawakura¡¯s initiative has also collected additional accolades, including recognition by the central government in 2013 as an environmental model municipality. The village was also selected in 2019 as an SDGs Future City alongside major urban areas including Kobe, Kyoto and Yokohama. Notable efforts to date have included small hydro power generation, and switching from kerosene to a firewood boiler to power onsen (hot springs). The village also contributed toward disaster-resistant forests and decarbonization by adopting a carbon dioxide absorption project covering fiscal 2019 to 2027, through which it issued J-Credits totaling 7,500 tons of CO2 as of November 2022.
By holding regular conversations around creating value from local resources through sustainable products, and facilitating forest health amidst a robust circular economy, various community stakeholders came together to form a concrete action plan based upon shared goals.
Such entities have included Team Nishiawakura, a group of consultants and project leaders uniting numerous community actors through its ¡°upriver to downriver¡± tours along the forestry chain. Its past initiatives have included crafting such structures as the Awakura Kaikan complex, which houses the village office, library and community space.
Another member organization, the A0 Group ¡ª pronounced ¡°A-zero¡± and under whose auspices Nishioka¡¯s tour was conducted ¡ª works to spearhead numerous creative initiatives to protect forest resources while stimulating business-related opportunities. Aptly, the organization is named for the fertile surface layer of organic matter that protects and cultivates the rich life on the forest floor.
¡°Our projects include those aiming to reevaluate the human-nature relationship, such as one to restore biodiversity while increasing the value of our rice fields; and another to pass down local unagi (eel) food traditions to the next generation,¡± explains A0 spokesperson Haruno Hayashi.
¡°We have also launched a sustainable forest resource use project to construct a supply chain of FSC-certified wood to build entire structures, for which we are presently able to support around 300 homes,¡± she adds.
Forest wisdom
Another player at the forefront of local initiatives is Mori no Gakko (forest school), established in 2009. Besides conducting tours to promote deeper insight into the finer details of Nishiawakura¡¯s forest environment, it also spearheads forest-thinning efforts. A critical measure to ensure forest health, the process involves removing around 30% of the local sugi and hinoki trees ¡ª mostly those that are dying or damaged ¡ª to allow sunlight to penetrate down to the forest floor, while also helping to prevent landslides.
The forestry school then cuts the felled trees to specification, often 4-meter-long logs, and sells them to customers including local furniture-maker Youbi. Half of all logging profits are returned to the owner of each tree¡¯s specific mountain lot, with individual owners comprising three-quarters of the total, and local companies the remainder. While school officials note that this unique approach involves considerably complex calculations, they say it helps the village realize its combined goals of forest management and stimulation of secondary and tertiary industries.
The forest school additionally mills, dries, processes, finishes, and sells the thinned wood as an array of creative products. Aiming to facilitate firsthand encounters between consumers and artisans, it conducts its operations on the premises of Base 101% ¡ª a spacious building fronting the forest, which flaunts tall glass windows and inset latticed wood patterning. Also serving as a forestry education complex, the structure houses an adjacent wood-processing factory alongside an expansive woodcrafts marketplace known as the Hazai Market and DIY Space.
Unique products at the market include aromatherapy vials borne from the forest¡¯s lush plant life, along with items crafted from local wood-thinning efforts such as cutting boards and plates, and boxes of multisize, multiuse wooden boards and planks. Creatively titled hitotema (¡°that one extra effort¡±) kits also come with instructions on how to use the enclosed knife, carving tool and sandpaper to ¡°sculpt, polish and craft¡± oversized hinoki-wood spoons and forks into usable utensils. Meanwhile, additional items such as lamps and yukahari natural wooden floor tiles are attractively styled in the attached showroom to provide inspiration for do-it-yourself (DIY) woodcraft enthusiasts.
Also onsite is a restaurant serving local dishes using deer meat and organic rice, along with rows of shelves featuring products from Nishiawakura growers and makers.
Another company, Feuerwork, features wood furniture, wrought iron products and unique forged items, thereby weaving together art, craftsmanship and design. Open since 2015, it is run by Israel-born Ohad Sheinwald Feuer ¡ª one of the numerous creatives, both Japanese and international, who have relocated to Nishiawakura after being attracted by the area¡¯s vast nature.
Feuer explains that he and his wife Aki explored the village while traveling through the country via camping car with their 2-year-old son. Looking for a place to settle in Japan, they felt drawn to Nishiawakura after seeing a TV program featuring its 100-year forest concept. Stopping by the town hall, they were accepted warmly and both were offered part-time jobs at a wood factory. Renting a small house in the village, they later moved into a kominka (traditional house), which they renovated as their family expanded to welcome three more children.
Feuer was also granted a government subsidy to help open his business.
¡°My father is a craftsman and metal fabricator, and I worked with him since childhood,¡± he says, ¡°so working in a factory was familiar to me.¡±
Feuer also runs workshops in skills such as iron blacksmithing, woodworking, and bushcraft. ¡°We get visitors from all over Japan and the world; some who join a workshop experience, and others who maybe get inspired by our story,¡± Feuer notes, underscoring his goal of encouraging others to consider a similar lifestyle in tune with nature¡¯s rhythms.
Deeper connections
The village is also engaged in collaborations with entities beyond Okayama who share a similar ethos.
These include the Dento furniture company in Joge, located in Fuchu, Hiroshima Prefecture, which has begun crafting items including trays and picture frames using wood thinned from Nishiawakura¡¯s forests.
¡°Our project involves circular craftsmanship that connects the mountainous areas of the Chugoku region,¡± notes Dento President Toshihiko Fukumaki. ¡°This is important not only environmentally; but also for passing on local industry and culture to the next generation. Our project with Nishiawakura is a wonderful example of putting the concept of circularity into concrete action.¡±
And as other locales across the country continue facing similar challenges in ensuring long-term forest health, the village¡¯s initiatives have also served as inspiration for similar developments.
¡°Municipalities and companies nationwide have expressed interest in the forest resource-focused community development, human resources, and business creation which underpin our hundred-year forest project,¡± A0¡¯s Hayashi recounts. ¡°Similar initiatives have also been implemented in places including the town of Atsumi in Hokkaido, and Kinko, Kagoshima Prefecture, based upon their own local resources and challenges.¡±
Tour guide Nishioka, meanwhile, who oversees A0¡¯s social relations, echoes this sentiment while also adding a dose of sobering reality to the historical moment of environmental precariousness we are facing today.
¡°Amidst today¡¯s affluence, resources are exploited for economic reasons,¡± he observes. ¡°Before the term ¡®SDGs¡¯ existed, we spoke in equal terms regarding the ¡®triple bottom lines¡¯ of resources, societies and economies. By contrast, our organization¡¯s approach involves an inverted pyramid wherein resources come first, then societies, and economies last.¡±
¡°In other words, there is no way you can put these three entities on the same level,¡± he adds, laughing dryly. ¡°Because you will obviously have no business enterprises if you have no earth.¡±
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