Watch a recording of the event in the player above.

With approximately two thirds of its land covered in forests, Japan is a country with abundant forestry resources. Take a closer look at these forests, and how they are managed, with a talk by Iida Shumpei from JETRO London, held in collaboration with Japan’s Forestry Agency.

Coinciding with Japan House’s gallery exhibition The Carpenters' Line which focuses on the woodworking heritage of the densely forested Hida Takayama area, the talk provides an introduction to Japan's forests and the Japan Forestry Agency's aims and activities.

Exploring the multifunctional roles of forests in Japan, including their capacity for CO2 absorption, Iida discusses new initiatives for sustainable forest management, focusing on the cyclical use of domestic timber in construction and architecture.

About the Speaker

Iida Shumpei joined the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan in April 2006. Since September 2020 he has been responsible for promoting the export of Japanese agricultural, forestry, fisheries and food products at JETRO London. He has also worked for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Housing Bureau and Sumitomo Forestry Co. He has a Master's degree in Wood Science and Wood Products from the University of Tokyo and a Master of Forestry from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.