Amid efforts to reduce pollen allergies by reducing the number of cedar trees in Japan, the government faces significant obstacles due to persistent labor shortages and tepid demand for timber, raising concerns about the feasibility of its ambitious forestry objectives.
These challenges have come into sharp focus as the government aims to reduce pollen production by cutting cedar forest plantations by about 20% over the next decade, with the ultimate goal of halving pollen production in about 30 years.
In May last year, the government adopted new strategies to combat pollen allergies. It was decided to increase annual logging of cedar forest plantations from the current 50,000 hectares to 70,000 hectares, and set a target to reduce the area of such forests by about 20% by the end of the 2033 fiscal year.
