Forest area in Japan 2014-2021

In 2021, Japanese forests spanned an area of approximately 25.05 million hectares. Compared to 2014, forest land in Japan has shrunk as a consequence of ongoing urbanization and agricultural cultivation.

The Japanese archipelago is vastly forested

Forests comprise around two-thirds of Japan's land area. However, the archipelago is mountainous, and only a small part of Japan's 37.8 million hectares of land is habitable. The mountainous terrain makes it challenging to produce and harvest enough timber, making Japan dependent on imports to meet its demand.

 Main uses of wood in Japan

In Japan, wood is commonly used as a construction material for buildings. Furthermore, wood is used to manufacture paper and paper products, such as printing, newspapers, sanitary tissue, as well and packaging. The demand for paper packaging is expected to continue to grow as the recyclable material represents a more sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.