about_hokkaidowood

Wood quality is
forest quality.

Hokkaido has a forest area of 5.54 million hectares, accounting for a quarter of Japan’s forests.
Forest quality defines the quality of wood produced in Hokkaido.
There are natural forests cherished over hundreds of years and artificial forests handed down from generation to generation.
Hokkaido’s harsh natural environment nurtures those forests, and people protect its rich ecosystems with a caring heart .
“HOKKAIDO WOOD ” that we offer you today is filled with such stories of people and nature.

Logging designs a forest

Forests not only nurture trees, but also sustain other forms of life , enrich water sources and reduce the risk of landslides .
We cannot cut down even a single tree without being aware of the roles that forests play in Hokkaido.
Logging means developing a grand design of Hokkaido’s forests for the decades and centuries to come.

Carving the future of forestry

Forestry in Hokkaido has been practiced in extensive forests.
While state-of-the-art forest machinery is actively used, the foresters’ skills and experience are critical when logging on steep slopes or large broadleaved trees.
Hokkaido’s forestry is carving the future, using both leading-edge technologies and profound human expertise .

Wood is loaded together with our gratitude

Raw wood is carefully gathered and loaded on a truck, avoiding damage to the land or remaining trees .
When we carry wood out of a forest, a sense of gratitude to the forest naturally fills our heart .

Branding wood products using accumulated technology

Each log of wood brought into a sawmill is unique.
It is the know-hows and cutting-edge technologies that make the most of the characteristics of the log, such as its species, area of origin, color and hardness.
The milling process turns the uniqueness into a charm , and the raw wood becomes “HOKKAIDO WOOD ”.

Main wood species of Hokkaido

Hokkaido’s forests exhibit diverse tree species different from those of Honshu,
Japan’s main island, thanks to the unique climate and landscape .
Here we illustrate the representative wood species of Hokkaido.

CONIFERS

Todo fir

The most common conifer in Hokkaido. It produces soft, straight-grained and beautiful white wood. It is used for a variety of purposes, from construction to industrial materials.

Japanese larch

The only deciduous conifer in Japan. By overcoming cracking and contortion of the wood with the development of drying technology, its use has expanded to construction materials, taking advantage of its high strength.

Southern Hokkaido cedar

The northernmost stock of Japanese cedar (sugi) , which has been planted in southern Hokkaido for centuries.
The cedar grown in Hokkaido’s severe natural environment generally produces high-quality wood.
It is used for a wide range of products, from construction materials to disposable chopsticks.

BROADLEAF
TREES

Japanese oak

A deciduous broadleaf representative of Hokkaido. Its wood is highly valued both in Japan and overseas for its subdued color, hardness and strength suited for furniture and flooring.

Japanese ash

A deciduous broadleaf native to Hokkaido.
It produces straight-grained, strong, ductile and highly elastic wood.
It has diverse uses, such as furniture, interior decoration and crafts.

Birch

A deciduous broadleaf that adds colors to the unique landscape of Hokkaido and represents the largest stock in its forests.
The wood is used for furniture, plywood, flooring and toothpicks among others.
Makaba (Betula maximowicziana) is especially high-priced as precious wood.

Hokkaido wood colors our lives

The durability to support large building structures, the texture that makes you want to feel it
for yourself… “HOKKAIDO WOOD ” draws the best out of the characteristics of
each tree species and expands the joy of living with wood.