Forests in Japan

Forests of beech. silver fir, broad leaf ever greens and mangroves once carpeted Japan. However with postwar economic boom and construction these forests have mainly been decimated. Now we have cedar and cypress untended with the flood of imported timber.

Around 67% of Japan is forested, 40% is commercial plantations and the country has come close to losing its most spectacular natural forests.

There were 206 endangered species (listed in 1991) due to hunting, habitat destruction and environmental pollution. This includes the Iriomote wild cat, the shorttailed albatross and the Japanese otter.


I saw this sign propped up outside a school.
No tree huggers please, you arent allowed to touch them.