Changes in regional features of Japanese sawmills since the Plaza Accord
2016
Hayafune, M. ((University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan). Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences), (Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan))) | Tachibana, S. | Araya, A.
Since the Plaza Accord, structural changes in timber - roundwood and lumber - imports have had significant influences on the sawmill industry in Japan. This study aims to clarify changes in the scales and locations of sawmills in Japan considering the structural changes, focusing on roundwood procurement from 1985 to 2010.Results of this study are as follows: (1)based on statistical data analysis, regional characteristics became remarkable about sawmill scale and kind of round wood procurement. (2)We classified prefectures which had large-scale sawmills (beyond 300 kW) into four types, (1)Quantity of Roundwood Procurement (QRP) was increased and Domestic Roundwood Rate (DRR) was high, (2)QRP was decreased and DRR was high, (3)QRP was decreased and DRR was low, (4)QRP was increased and DRR was low. Large scale sawmill's procurement share was increased nationwide but this trend only indicated a few big company's operations. Almost sawmills using imported roundwood were decreased and changed in the business characteristics from lumbering to small lot production of many products with additional values, distribution or real estate businesses. Though half of amount of domestic roundwood was procured by small and medium-sized sawmills (within 300 kW), there were big regional differences of the feature in prefectures and scale of sawmills processing domestic roundwood in the production area for ordinary quality roundwood has been expanding remarkably for the 2000's.
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