#Japan #Tokyo #Sumitomo Forestry #Haneda Airport #Airport Forest

Supporting the Airport Forest Circle Project

Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. (President: Toshihiro Mitsukoshi), headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, has announced its support for the Airport Forest Circle Project spearheaded by Japan Airport Building Co., Ltd. (President: Kazuhito Tanaka) at Haneda Airport. This innovative initiative aims to emphasize the importance of the circulation of forest resources and environmental conservation from a hub where diverse communities intersect. It seeks to create new value by connecting children, who will be responsible for the future, with their local communities and the airport itself.

As part of this project, Sumitomo Forestry will support a kids' space where seedlings are nurtured, followed by subsequent afforestation activities. Leveraging its accumulated knowledge about trees, the company aims to raise awareness regarding the circulation of forest resources and contribute towards a carbon-neutral society.

Overview of the Airport Forest Circle Project

The Airport Forest Circle Project is an initiative by Japan Airport Building that focuses on forest resource circulation and environmental protection, starting from Haneda Airport. Seedlings will be grown within the airport before being planted into forests. Once they mature, the grown trees will be utilized within the airport infrastructure, such as in furniture or building materials, creating a cycle of growing, planting, and using wood.

The project aims to help many airport visitors experience the journey of a tree as it grows into a forest and is eventually used as timber in society. By bringing this cycle closer to the people, the project fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation for forest resources.

Support from Sumitomo Forestry

Sumitomo Forestry Group operates globally in various sectors related to wood, from forest management and timber manufacturing to real estate development and biomass power generation. Utilizing its value chain—referred to as the 'Wood Cycle'—the group offers comprehensive coordination services tailored to stakeholders' needs involving forests, wood, and greenery.

In this project, Sumitomo Forestry will propose a forest resource circulation model that connects seedling nurturing, planting, and future timber utilization, all initiated from the airport. As an initial phase, they will support the growth of seedlings in the kids' space and subsequent afforestation activities. The seedlings nurtured in this space are young, short-pollen cedar saplings, approximately 15 cm tall. This variety produces less than one percent of the pollen compared to typical cedar, making it beneficial for those sensitive to pollen.

After nurturing the saplings in the kids' space for around two months, they will be transferred outdoors to a nursery to grow until they reach an adequate size for planting.

To ensure healthy growth of the saplings in an indoor environment, the lighting and soil used are developed by the Tsukuba Research Institute, the corporate research arm of Sumitomo Forestry. The design and construction of the kids' space were managed by Aim Creates Co., Ltd., with whom Sumitomo Forestry has a business partnership.

Total Coordination Services Related to Wood

Since establishing the Forest and Greening Research Center in 2014, Sumitomo Forestry has provided services to local governments and private enterprises concerning forest management, greening, and environmental conservation. Notably, in 2020, they supported the tree-raising and subsequent afforestation initiatives for Shiseido's brand, BAUM, by growing seedlings in their retail spaces.

Overall, the Airport Forest Circle Project represents a collaborative effort to promote environmental awareness and sustainable practices while reimagining how communities engage with their natural surroundings through education and responsibility.