“Takahashi River Shijuku” is being held from November 2020 through February 2021.
The 41 sessions are divided into three categories—SDGs Vision, General Education, and Skills—and are attended by 23 students, along with auditors who join individual sessions.
On Saturday, December 19, 2020, as part of the Skills category, Yoshikazu Saeki, who works as a woodworker at “HANAGI Mori no Kobo” in Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture, gave a lecture.
Here is a report on the lecture.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in January 2021. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Overview of Takahashi River Shijuku
Takahashi River Shijuku is a Kurashiki City-commissioned program run by the General Incorporated Association Takahashi River Basin School. Through studies of the history, culture, and industries of the Takahashi River Basin, as well as fieldwork, it aims to foster people who will contribute to community development and build a “sustainable” region, and to inspire them to take action.
There are two types of courses:
・The “SDGs Exploration Course,” which includes practical exercises and presentations
・The “Auditor Course,” in which participants attend selected lectures
The opening ceremony was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, and 41 lecture sessions will be held through the closing ceremony on Sunday, February 14, 2021.
The themes fall into three categories:
▼SDGs Vision
Through lectures by practitioners and experts, participants gain a deeper understanding of the Takahashi River Basin’s 2030 vision and current efforts to address its challenges, and discover ideas for taking action.
▼General Education
A course for learning about the history, culture, industries, and other aspects of the Takahashi River Basin, and gaining the knowledge needed as a foundation for activities.
▼Skills
A course for acquiring the skills and know-how needed for inquiry-based learning, including presentations, accounting for nonprofit organizations, data analysis (using RESAS), effective use of IT tools, and use of blogs and social media.
For more details, see the special page for “Takahashi River Shijuku.”
Woodworker Yoshikazu Saeki’s background
The lecturer, Yoshikazu Saeki, is from Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture.
He says he grew up surrounded by nature.
He came to Okayama Prefecture when he went to university.
He studied hard in the Faculty of Law, but found it difficult to fit into university life and, he says, lost his sense of belonging.
During the lecture, he said, “When I was a student, I thought I was a worthless person.”
But even during that difficult period, Saeki was able to find a place where he could thrive.
It began with volunteering in forestry.
He learned that there were few people to carry on the tradition of woodworking.
Having grown up close to nature and always enjoyed making things, Saeki decided to become a woodworker.
After graduating from university, he thought it would be good to gain a variety of experiences in addition to training as a woodworker, so he joined the Community Revitalization Cooperator program in Niimi City.
He learned about forestry while working at a woodworking studio.
After completing his term as a Niimi City Community Revitalization Cooperator and leaving the woodworking studio in 2019, he launched “HANAG I Mori no Kobo” in 2020, making custom wooden furniture and working as a woodworker.
Some of the wooden furniture Saeki has made is used in cafes and coworking spaces.
A desk made by Saeki was also in the coworking space “Bunbuku” in Kurashiki City, where this lecture was held.
Japan’s neglected forests are in danger
Forests cover about 70 percent of Japan’s land area.
The climate, in which trees grow abundantly without human intervention, is rare worldwide, making Japan a lush, green country.
Yet Saeki told us that Japan’s forests are “in a critical situation.”
During the war, many buildings were destroyed by fire.
Demand for rebuilding homes increased.
As a result, large quantities of trees were used as building materials, reducing the number of trees in the mountains.
The soil in mountains where tree numbers have declined loses its ability to retain water, making floods more likely.
The government therefore supported tree planting, and cedar and cypress were planted throughout the country.
However, mountains covered with planted forests are more prone to landslides if they are not maintained.
In neglected forests, little light reaches the ground, leaving them dim.
By contrast, well-maintained forests are bright because sunlight reaches the ground.
As a result, plants grow abundantly at ground level, and there is a diversity of living things.
Rich soil also has a high capacity to retain water and is said to be highly effective at preventing natural disasters such as landslides and floods.
To increase healthy forests, the number of trees must be properly managed through thinning.
However, the reality is that fewer people are working in forestry, and many forests are dim and neglected.
Saeki says there are also many dim forests in Niimi City, where he lives.
What we can do to increase healthy forests
Saeki explained what people who do not work in forestry can do to help Japan’s forests.
It is to use local wood.
For example, suppose you buy furniture made using local wood.
Then a flow of goods is created, and money and work circulate from “the person who cuts the tree → the person who processes the wood → the person who makes the furniture → the person who uses it.”
He explained that a more active local economy helps support the livelihoods and work of people involved in forestry.
Use local timber to increase healthy forests
So, what can we do to use local wood?
Saeki explained two specific ways to use timber harvested from local forests:
- Visit a sawmill
- Visit a custom furniture maker
Visit a sawmill
A sawmill is a place where felled trees are processed into boards or beams to make materials for furniture and buildings.
If you need wood for a DIY project, you can get local timber by visiting a sawmill.
The lumber sold at home improvement stores is almost never locally sourced.
He also told us that the timber at sawmills is better quality than what you find at home improvement stores.
Ordinary people may feel hesitant about visiting a sawmill, but if you work up the courage to go, they will sell you timber.
Many people do not know how to buy local timber, so he said he hopes anyone who became interested after hearing the lecture will visit a sawmill.
Visit a custom furniture maker
“I want a desk of this size and with this kind of look for my living room.”
“I want a shelf that will fit exactly in this space.”
In situations like these, local furniture makers can make furniture from local timber.
For example, visit the furniture showroom at “Kurashiki Mokuzai.”
It displays many pieces of furniture made from local timber.
If you tell them what you want, they can also make furniture from natural wood to your preferred size and design.
It costs a little more, but natural wood is easy to repair and can be used for decades.
Using it for a long time can ultimately make it more cost-effective.
Custom-made furniture is full of appeal: it has a design you like, lasts a long time, and helps protect local forests.
Advantages and disadvantages of timber and industrial products
Saeki shared his thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of timber and of materials manufactured as industrial products.
| Advantages | Disadvantages | |
|---|---|---|
| Materials manufactured as industrial products | ・Quick, inexpensive, and easy to produce in large quantities・Can be made into many different shapes and products | ・High carbon dioxide emissions・Plastic does not return to nature |
| Timber | ・Low carbon dioxide emissions before use・Returns to the soil (does not easily become waste)・Makes for a comfortable living environment | ・Difficult to produce quickly and in large quantities・Can warp or twist as it dries |
In this lecture, plastic, concrete, iron, and aluminum were given as examples of industrial products.
Industrial products also have advantages and are, of course, essential materials that support our lives.
On the other hand, timber has the wonderful qualities of producing low carbon dioxide emissions during manufacturing and returning to the soil.
Timber is a wonderful, sustainable material.
Saeki said he hopes people will rediscover the appeal of timber and use it more.
From the Writer
In this lecture, woodworker Yoshikazu Saeki clearly explained the problems facing Japan’s forests.
What particularly impressed me was that Saeki offered specific actions individuals can take to protect forests.
He spoke concretely about the economic cycle: “Using products made with local timber helps the people involved in forestry, which in turn makes it possible to maintain the forests properly.”
We see the term SDGs often now, and understand the concepts of “17 goals” and “leave no one behind.”
However, I had felt uncertain because I did not know what specific actions individuals could take toward a sustainable society.
I felt that people like Saeki, who can recommend concrete actions to many people, are the ones putting the SDGs into practice.
I hope this article helps readers deepen their understanding of the problems facing Japan’s forests and inspires individuals to take action.
Takahashi River Shijuku details
| Name | Takahashi River Shijuku |
|---|---|
| Date | Date and time of this lecture: December 19, 2020, 10:00 a.m.–12:10 p.m. Takahashi River Shijuku program period: November 3, 2020–February 14, 2021 (closing ceremony) |
| Location | 2-13-3 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture — Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku |
| Participation fee (tax included) | In-person attendance: ¥1,500 Online or archived lecture: ¥500 |
| Website | Takahashi River Shijuku | Takahashi River Basin School |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a word to search articles on this site
