What is becoming of the forest which occupies two-thirds of the land area of Japan? In spite of the negative news we often hear around forestry, the growing stock of forest (the percentage of trees usable as timber in a forest area) has recovered to 5 billion cubic meters. This decreased once to a level below 20 billion cubic meters in the high economic growth period, but the persistent afforestation worked. While the forest area has been continuously decreasing on a global scale, Asia marks exceptional growth because of tree planting efforts in Japan.
Japan still depends on cheaper imports to supply the domestic demand for lumber. The percentage of use of domestic lumber remains low, and the planted forests are fully grown and left unused in the mountains. There are many causes for the exhaustion of forestry, such as the lower competitiveness for the steep rise of labour costs and the ageing of persons engaged in the sector. Little by little the search has begun for a new form of forestry which can be both sustainable and profitable. One of these forms is a movement to use coniferous trees, such as sugi (Japanese cedar), hinoki (Japanese cypress), and karamatsu (larch), for woodworking. These trees occupy large portions of planted forests.
Almost all of the demand for domestic coniferous trees is for construction and wood chips. The use in woodworking is now very low. In fact, this is a relatively new trend. Historically, furniture and tableware in Japan used to be made from coniferous trees. Only after World War II, when the Japanese lifestyle was becoming westernized, furniture made from broadleaf trees, such as nara (Japanese oak), chestnut, and cherry, became popular. Due to a surge in demand, a large number of the broadleaf trees were wiped out from the natural forest and were never re-planted. The production of broadleaf trees decreased to 12% 40 years ago.
For this exhibition each exhibitor re-encountered coniferous trees and presents the attraction of this material in their own way. This is not a high-grade material like the lumber supporting the Hōryūji temple which can increase in value as time passes. This is just modest enough to cover the needs in common daily life, and lasts long enough to accompany one person’s lifetime. Nothing ambitious or forceful. Amongst Shin Gyō Sō (formal, semiformal, informal) Sō is the type of beauty we would like to promote through these exhibits.
