magichoucamp from 2021

We lived in these mountains 10 years ago, and by fate, we were able to own this land.

Hoping to create a utopia through travel, we began exploring the mountains.

The first thing we saw was a dense coniferous forest so dense it was difficult to even find land to own.

The history of this dense coniferous forest began with the war.

1. Wartime: Timber was a "military supply"

During World War II, timber was subject to state control in Japan, and large-scale logging was forced.

The Timber Control Act was enacted in 1941. Forest owners were required to sell logs to the government.

Lumber dealers were also under government control.

Timber's uses and consumption were also restricted. Timber was used in large quantities as military supplies for barracks, ammunition boxes, ships, and facility construction.

As a result, Japan's mountains were severely devastated.

2. Postwar: "Expansion Afforestation Policy" to Restore Devastated Mountains

In order to restore mountains that had been deforested during the war, the government implemented a large-scale afforestation policy from the 1950s to the 1970s.

This is the famous "expansion afforestation" initiative.

Logging down natural broadleaf forests

Mass-planting fast-growing conifers such as cedar and cypress

National reforestation campaigns (such as the Green Feather Fund)

The background to this was the sudden increase in lumber demand during postwar reconstruction and the lumber shortage caused by deforestation during the war.

3. Why were cedar and cypress so highly planted?

The reasons are simple: economy and speed.

Fast-growing

Highly valued as a building material

Grows straight

Suitable for mass production

In 1960, cedar and cypress were considered "profitable trees," so much so that it was said that "planting a tree is more valuable than having money in the bank."

4. However, problems arose with the changing times.

Since the 1970s,

imports of foreign timber have been liberalized,

timber prices have plummeted,

and forestry has declined.

As a result, planted artificial forests have been abandoned.

As a result,

the trees have become overcrowded without thinning,

light has been cut off, and undergrowth has not grown,

the ecosystem has weakened,

there has been an increase in cedar trees that emit large amounts of pollen,

causing allergic reactions in people,

etc.

A work from 193 years ago here

Contemporary forest issues have also connected to the mountains I explored.

I spoke to seniors who live on these mountains about the landscape back then.

The old stone walls of the terraced fields buried under the forest have collapsed,

and the old stream has become a valley floor cutting through the mountain.

From there, I began to think about what we could do. Biological cycle: Plants, animals, microorganisms, and the role of animals.

Inspirational ideas synchronize.