Many people I know have hay fever caused by the pollen of cedars. I read in the news that this allergy is believed to affect about 40 percent of Japan's current population, causing symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes, mainly in the spring. Apparently, these allergies only affected about 23 percent of the population in 1998, but has been steadily increasing since 1970, according to a nationwide survey of Ear, Nose, and Throat doctors.
A large number of cedar trees were planted after World War II in order to meet the demand for more housing. Now, without the great demand for houses made of wood, Japan wants to speed up replacing cedar forests with trees that produce less pollen, in order to tackle the hay fever problem. The goal is to reduce the cedar tree areas by about 20 percent by fiscal 2033. To achieve this goal, the government needs to secure a labor force for logging work, create a demand for cedar lumber, and increase the production of low-pollen seedlings. Sounds like a big job!
What trees will replace the cedars? Many times actions in the environment have negative unintended consequences. Perhaps a rare animal or butterfly depends on the cedar trees and will become extinct. Who knows?
How interesting! Only slightly related, but I recently read a couple books set in a logging village in the Japanese mountains. 'The Easy Life in Kamusarr' by Shion Miura. I really liked them!
I didn't have hay fever, but I developed it soon after moving from Tokyo to Shizuoka City 20 years ago. Shizuoka Prefecture is richer in nature than Tokyo and has many cedar trees. I agree with replanting to cedar, which has less pollen. I don't think I'd ever waste the cedars I cut down. This is a country where even old wood from repairing the Torii gates of lse Grand shrine and kintaikyo Bridge is recycled into other things. I think it's not that wooden houses are unpopular, but that they are expensive and not an option.
Cedar is beautiful wood! But it's usually pretty pricey.
ReplyDeleteJapan is a country of innovation - many new usages of cedar wood will be found, I'm sure of it.
ReplyDeleteWhat trees will replace the cedars? Many times actions in the environment have negative unintended consequences. Perhaps a rare animal or butterfly depends on the cedar trees and will become extinct. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteThose cedars are beautiful. This really is very interestng.
ReplyDeleteSeems a shame to remove the trees but I understand why, I wonder what the replacement trees will be?
ReplyDeleteHow interesting! Only slightly related, but I recently read a couple books set in a logging village in the Japanese mountains. 'The Easy Life in Kamusarr' by Shion Miura. I really liked them!
ReplyDeleteI didn't have hay fever, but I developed it soon after moving from Tokyo to Shizuoka City 20 years ago. Shizuoka Prefecture is richer in nature than Tokyo and has many cedar trees.
ReplyDeleteI agree with replanting to cedar, which has less pollen. I don't think I'd ever waste the cedars I cut down. This is a country where even old wood from repairing the Torii gates of lse Grand shrine and kintaikyo Bridge is recycled into other things.
I think it's not that wooden houses are unpopular, but that they are expensive and not an option.