TOYOTA Mie Miyagawa Mountain Forest

TOYOTA Mie Miyagawa Mountain Forest Project:
The 50-Year Program for establishing a model of forest revitalization

Seventy percent of Japan's land is covered by forests, and 40% of that is man-made forests consisting of cedar, cypress, and other trees. It prevents ground from land slide damages to give a periodical care for forests, and also performs other functions such as recharging water sources, fixing carbon dioxide, and producing timbers. Many of man-made forests in Japan, however, have not been adequately taken cared because of the decline of the forestry industry.

Toyota believes that it would be possible to revitalize forests in Japan by taking advantages of oversea tree planting experiences in China and the Philippines, and applying the management know-how such as process standardization and (Mieruka) visualization which have been developed in automobile manufacturing.

In October 2007, Toyota acquired approximately 1,700 ha of forest land in the former Miyagawa Village (now Odai Town) in Mie Prefecture and launched the forest revitalization program to revitalize the forests. The forests had formerly been owned by Moroto family known as "Forest king in Japan" who performed many advanced forests technologies since Meiji Era.

Status of the TOYOTA Mie Miyagawa Mountain Forest

Characteristics

  • Consisting with eight large forestry districts
    While many of privately owned forests in Japan are divided into small lots of few ha, this consists of relatively large forest districts.
  • Well prepared forest roads network
    The forest road density reaches 44m/ha which is known to be higher than 17m/ha average road density in Japan.

Resources

Man-made forest1,244 ha
(47% cypress,
53% cedar)
Deciduous forest etc.
and others		 458 ha
Total1,702 ha

condition of TOYOTA Mie Miyagawa Mountain Forest

Miyagawa Office
Miyagawa Office

Cultivating operation of timbers
Cultivating operation of timbers

Logging work (timber yard in front of the office)
Logging work (timber yard in front of the office)

No thinning forests (a dark forest)
No thinning forests (a dark forest)

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The forest after thinning (a bright forest)
The forest after thinning (a bright forest)

Implementation framework

Implementation framework

50-Year Forest Revitalization Vision

50-Year Forest Revitalization Vision

Forestry Business Sought by Toyota

Forestry activities
  • Introduce pioneering forestry techniques (machines and tree selection technology)
  • Operations without muda, mura, and muri (wasteful practices, inconsistencies, and unreasonable requirements)
Technology development
  • Forestry development and restoration technologies based on scientific analysis and data
Management structures
  • Appropriate forestry activities based on accurate information
  • Production of high-quality lumbers and development of a forest with high public benefit
Human resource development
  • Use of the Toyota TOYOTA Mie Miyagawa Mountain Forest for field work
  • Nurture people engaged in forestry for future generations

Framework without muda, mura, and muri

FSC・・orest Stewardship Council

Appropriate forestry activities were evaluated from environmental, economic, and social perspectives. TOYOTA Mie Miyagawa Mountain Forest obtained Forest Stewardship Council® Certification in 2010.

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Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®)
Nonprofit international member organization that operates the Forest Certification System, established by environmental groups, forestry companies, groups of native peoples, etc.
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