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ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to clarify the dynamics of the wood resource procurement system in the postwar Japanese pulp and paper industry from the perspective of resource dependence theory (RDT). The research methods include a review of relevant literatures, statistical data analysis, and interviews with six general trading companies. In Japan, the development of chip carriers, develop-and-import schemes and afforestation based on long-term procurement guarantees had been implemented since the 1960s, and international woodchips markets dominated by Japanese companies was formed in the 1990s and early 2000s. However, in the late 2000s, China’s woodchips import increased, shaking Japan’s traditional woodchips procurement system and raising concerns about sustainable forest management and woodchips procurement. This study contributes to introducing historical dynamics into RDT through the identification of changes in interorganisational relationships in the procurement of woodchips in pulp and paper companies over the course of the industry life cycle.

ABSTRACTThe Forest Environment Transfer Tax (FETT), a scheme similar to Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), was introduced for Japanese forests at the national level in 2019 to address the challenges of climate change and promote management mainly in privately owned forests under the New Forest Management System (NFMS). Given insufficient human and financial resources, support by prefectures for municipalities is a key step forward, and we examined the policies of 47 prefectures. The study period is from 2019 to 2021. We conducted the following analysis: (1) categorization of prefectures by cluster analysis based on questionnaire surveys, and (2) quantitative analysis of the relationship between policy choices and characteristics of prefectures. Based on the analyses, we identified two typologies of prefectures based on policy selections and changes; (i) prefectures focused on specific policy items and (ii) those distributed the FETT budget relatively uniformly for each policy item, and further trends of changes based on temporal sequences in the early years of the scheme. The results suggest two further implications: geographical proximity among prefectures and the ratio of forestry production outputs among the overall outputs of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries may affect policy choices by prefectures, especially those of the former type of prefectures. The findings of this study can contribute to an understanding of the factors influencing policy choices in the context of PES-related schemes for forest management.

This study analyzes the effects of the Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP) on the restoration of forest resources in the northeastern forest region of China, an important region because of its ecological and geographical location and timber supply in China, by using panel data sets of 35 forest farms of state-owned forest enterprises. Panel data analysis results show that related policies under the NFPP have had positive effects on forest resources. Planting activity had a statistically significant effect on forest growth and could be reinforced continually by planting tree species suitable for a warming climate in temperate forests. Forest management and protection played a powerful role in increasing the growing stock of the forests. In NFPP areas timber harvests, after implementation of the NFPP, were a positive factor in increasing forest resources if the harvests combined effective tending and thinning under a carefully guided management plan.This study analyzes the effects of the Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP) on the restoration of forest resources in the northeastern forest region of China, an important region because of its ecological and geographical location and timber supply in China, by using panel data sets of 35 forest farms of state-owned forest enterprises. Panel data analysis results show that related policies under the NFPP have had positive effects on forest resources. Planting activity had a statistically significant effect on forest growth and could be reinforced continually by planting tree species suitable for a warming climate in temperate forests. Forest management and protection played a powerful role in increasing the growing stock of the forests. In NFPP areas timber harvests, after implementation of the NFPP, were a positive factor in increasing forest resources if the harvests combined effective tending and thinning under a carefully guided management plan.

Seen worldwide, many restrictive policies on timber harvests or log exports have been enforced in the major timber-exporting countries in the last two and half decades. This study aims to assess the impacts of the log export restrictions in the Southeast Asian countries on the Japanese plywood market, whose supply mainly comes from Southeast Asia and the domestic plywood industries. Both plywood industries process tropical raw logs. This econometric analysis reveals the followings; the log export restriction of Indonesia, along with its policy to promote the plywood industry, increased plywood exports to Japan, leaving the amount of log supply rather unchanged. Sabah's log export restriction and Sarawak's log export cutback policies decreased the amount of log exports from Southeast Asia to Japan significantly. Furthermore, the producer surplus of Southeast Asian plywood industries increased notably after the log export restriction of Indonesia. The consumer surplus in the Japanese plywood market increased accordingly. On the other hand, the producer surplus of the Japanese plywood industry decreased significantly as a result of Sabah's log export restriction and Sarawak's log cutback policies. Consequently, these log export restrictions led to large profits for the plywood industries of Southeast Asia, and that, enforced costs were levied on Japanese plywood industry.

Seen worldwide, many restrictive policies on timber harvests or log exports have been enforced in the major timber-exporting countries in the last two and half decades. This study aims to assess the impacts of the log export restrictions in the Southeast Asian countries on the Japanese plywood market, whose supply mainly comes from Southeast Asia and the domestic plywood industries. Both plywood industries process tropical raw logs. This econometric analysis reveals the followings; the log export restriction of Indonesia, along with its policy to promote the plywood industry, increased plywood exports to Japan, leaving the amount of log supply rather unchanged. Sabah’s log export restriction and Sarawak’s log export cutback policies decreased the amount of log exports from Southeast Asia to Japan significantly. Furthermore, the producer surplus of Southeast Asian plywood industries increased notably after the log export restriction of Indonesia. The consumer surplus in the Japanese plywood market increased accordingly. On the other hand, the producer surplus of the Japanese plywood industry decreased significantly as a result of Sabah’s log export restriction and Sarawak’s log cutback policies. Consequently, these log export restrictions led to large profits for the plywood industries of Southeast Asia, and that, enforced costs were levied on Japanese plywood industry.