Japan is one of the major forest-rich countries in the world with two thirds of its national territory covered with forests. The various functions of forests, including the prevention of global warming, conservation of national land, recharging of water resources, and maintenance of biotic diversity, play an important role in our safe, secure, and comfortable living. With the increasing national expectations on the role of forests tocontribute to the prevention of global warming and “Accelerating forest carbon-sink measures to achieve Kyoto Protocol Commitment”, it is necessary to make efforts toward a large-scale forest regeneration in order to secure an absorption of 13 million carbon tons through forest carbon sink for the achievement of the target of six percent reduction under the Kyoto Protocol. Most importantly, however, is to accelerate the measures for forests as absorption sources, including thinning and other forestry management activities. However, there is a situation, among others, where thinning is not implemented properly due to the decreased willingness of forest owners to manage forests, because of the long-term low demand for domestic lumber and lumber prices.In addition, forestry workers are aging and decreasing in number. Thus, the circumstances surrounding forestry are severe. It is necessary for the protection of our precious forests to make effortsto create and maintain forests with activities that involve citizens such as the “National Movement for Utsukushii Mori Zukur (Fostering Beautiful Forests)”.

• 쯔치야 노부유키(일본 도쿄도 에도가와구 토목부) | Nobuyuki Tsuchiya