Spreading Kumamoto Prefecture timber from Kyushu and Kumamoto to the world
Located in the southwestern part of Japan, Kumamoto Prefecture is almost in the center of Kyushu.
Blessed with abundant nature and clear water, Kumamoto Prefecture has 460,000 hectares of forests, with 63% of the prefecture's area covered by forests. It is rich in forest resources and ranks fifth in Japan in terms of lumber production.
More than half of the forests are planted forests that need to be cared for. The forests are planted mainly with cedar and cypress, as well as sawtooth oak and pine, and straight, strong trees grow in forests that have been cared for for more than 50 years.
As a supplier of this high quality wood, Kumamoto Prefecture exports to many countries.
From Port YATSUSHIRO, the largest port in Kumamoto Prefecture
- logs
- lumber (Japanese-style pre-cut lumber for construction)
- wood products
and is Japan's third largest exporter.
Export Achievements
Goodness because it's lumber
Lumber does not impose a significant burden on the environment when it is sawn or processed. In addition, after the trees are cut down, they can be planted and grown again for repeated production. In addition, wood has many other excellent characteristics.
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Regulates airborne moisture
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lightweight and durable
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soften the sound and make it resonate
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Heat transfer is difficult
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soft touch
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Easy to process
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Absorbed carbon dioxide is stored as wood
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Can be produced repeatedly
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Less energy (carbon emission) during processing
Wood and Health
Wood interior improves sleep quality and work performance!
We compared the effect of changing the interior (white cloth) to "wood grain pattern cloth" and "solid cedar wood".
An experiment to quantify the effect of solid wood on people
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Deep Sleep Time
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Simple tasks (typing)
It has been found that rooms with exposed wood as an interior material not only give a "warm" and "natural" impression through visual effects, but also affect physiological responses such as blood pressure and heart rate. It is also believed that the aroma component of wood reduces stress.
- The total number of correct hits in time is defined as the work performance. A proficiency curve is derived and corrected for the effect of proficiency.
- Work performance (normalized) = 50 + 10 x {(work performance) - (average work performance of the individual)} / standard deviation, taking into account the ability of the individual.
- The wood-grain patterned cloth is set up in a space with approximately half of the interior wooded, as the calming effect was confirmed in the 50% wooded case in the 2015 test subjects' experiment.
- special supervision
- Department of System Design Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University
- Professor Toshiharu Ikaga
Relaxation and antibacterial effects
The fragrant component emitted by the wood contains a component called "phytoncide," which has a relaxing effect as if you are taking a forest bath. Furthermore, a Kyushu University study conducted in 2004 revealed that the scent and touch of cedar (Oguni cedar) activates immune substances in the body. It is also expected to have high antibacterial, mold-preventing, and mite-inhibiting effects.
Cool in summer and warm in winter
Wood has a humidity control function that absorbs moisture when the humidity in the air is high and releases it into the air when the humidity is low. It has a high humidity control function, such as being used as an interior material for the storage of the Kyushu National Museum, and it keeps the skin moisturized in the summer and moderately in the winter. Since it provides a comfortable space throughout the year, you can expect not only physical condition management but also an eco-friendly life with less use of air conditioners.
What is the Export Promotion Council?
It is an organization whose members include local governments, industry associations, and companies that promote the export of wood products from Kumamoto Prefecture.
Considering the importance of timber utilization and forest restructuring for the sustainable development of the global environmental conservation function of forests, which is currently being called for on a global scale, it is of great significance to establish an export system for timber products produced in Kumamoto Prefecture in order to increase demand for such products.
To this end, we will conduct surveys and gather information on the quality standards, distribution channels, and usage needs of structural materials and wood products for housing and other purposes in the exporting countries, build cooperative relationships with industry groups and companies in the exporting countries, and establish mutually developing relationships.
| Company / Organization Name | Kumamoto Prefecture Lumber Export Promotion Council |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-11-14 Jinsui, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto 862-0954 |
| Phone number | 096-382-7919 |
| Business | Conduct overseas market research, business negotiations, test exports, etc. to Grasp various issues such as product standards and prices required by the government.Grasp. In addition, information will be shared among related organizations and To resolve the issue. |
| Main Products | All kinds of lumber produced in Kumamoto Prefecture |