-MATERIAL ISSUE 5- CONTRIBUTE TOWARD A SOCIETY THAT COEXISTS WITH NATURE

yuimori

Back in October 2006, we launched the Yui-no-Mori Project in partnership with the Taisho-cho Forestry Association (now the Shimanto-cho Forestry Association) in Kochi Prefecture. More recently, we launched Yuimori, a brand of wooden furniture made from timber harvested in Yui-no-Mori Project. By using Japanese timber, the brand contributes to harmony with nature. Yuimori products feature elegant and impactful designs along with the high quality required for office furniture. They are also designed for sustainable disposal.
The products were designed by Keiji Ashizawa, who boasts an extensive design portfolio from architecture to furniture. Furniture experts Tendo Mokko (headquartered in Tendo, Yamagata; represented by Yukio Kato) fabricated the designs, bringing out the timber feel. We contributed our own know-how in office furniture, such as ideas for making a chair comfortable.
Through Yuimori, we contribute to greater harmony with nature.

View the Yuimori webpage: yuimori

EF Counter, featuring modesty panels made from locally sourced timber

EF Counter is a series of modular counters that can be rearranged to suit changes in the organization or changes in desired use. With their universal design, the counters are friendly to the elderly and to wheelchair users. While part of the structure is made from standardized materials, the modesty panel is made from timber sourced from the locality in question. This arrangement ensures that the counters are no less functional and versatile than standard counters are. The table edge has a groove for securing a walking stick or similar items and a grip for wheelchair users.

Kochi Prefecture confers certificate of carbon sequestration

On November 11, 2023, Kochi Prefecture awarded Kokuyo and Kaunet a CO₂ absorption certificate in recognition of the fact that we had offset a total of 4,133 tons of CO₂ (Kokuyo offset 3,497 tons and Kaunet offset 636 tons). The award ceremony was held at the Shimanto-cho town hall. Presenting the award, [First-name] Sakata (an assistant section chief) thanked the two companies for contributing over the years to Kochi’s efforts to preserve its environment, manage its forests, promote local industry, and support its PR. To help spread the word about Yui-no-Mori, Kaunet launched a scheme in 2008 whereby customers can use their loyalty points to fund the thinning work. In 2023, there were around 186 applications for the scheme.
The 4,133-ton offset represented 11% of the group’s total CO₂ emissions in 2023 (36,829 tons).

FSC certification

Yui-no-Mori has enjoyed FSC certification since 2007.
Following a regular audit performed on August 24 and 25, 2023, the project was recertified by the FSC.

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  Presentation of CO₂ absorption certificates

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  CO₂ absorption certificate

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  An FSC certification audit in progress

Monitoring thinning outcomes

An important part of forest conservation is seeing the outcomes of thinning. We monitor these outcomes over the long term in partnership with Shimanto Forestry Association, Shimanto High School, and officials of Kochi Prefecture and Shimanto. On October 5, 2023, we measured the water quality of Shimanto River. On November 19, we conducted a vegetation survey.

^*Related information:View the latest vegetation survey report from the students of Shimanto High School

Wildlife survey

We investigated the kinds of fauna that inhabit Yui-no-Mori.
On May 11, 2023, we teamed up with experts and students at Shimanto High School to install 12 cameras in locations in Yui-no-Mori. The cameras were installed in six locations, two in each (the locations were in Utsuigawa, Yoshikawa, and Shimotsui). The cameras recorded footage for six months, ending on November 7.
On June 16 and 17, an ornithologist helped us identify the birds that appeared in the footage.
Analysis of the footage revealed the presence of 11 types of mammals. One mammal species was the Japanese dormouse, designated as a natural treasure. We also identified 46 types of birds. These results confirmed that Yui-no-Mori remains biodiverse.

Mammals identified

Families and species were only counted if the family or species could be distinguished.

Birds identified

Conserving Lake Biwa’s reedbeds -Network for Protecting Lake Biwa Through Reed Management-

We have formed a network of partnerships for protecting Lake Biwa through reed management. The network had to suspend activities during the pandemic (Kokuyo Project Shiga continued managing the reeds on its own), but it resumed activities in February 2023. Membership of the network has grown with many companies resolving to continue sustainable-business initiatives and environmental initiatives and with many individuals recognizing that environmental initiatives are essential to secure a sustainable future. The network had formed in the first place on the understanding that local stakeholders should act together to address a local environmental issue that concerns them all. Now encompassing 132 companies that share the vision, the network engages in reed cutting three times every winter, from December to March. The network cut reeds in Lake Nishinoko on two occasions in February 2023, in Iba-Naiko in December 2023, in Lake Nishinoko on two occasions in February 2024, and it will cut reeds in Iba-Naiko in December 2024. Alongside winter reed cutting, the network helps organize and advertise summer events, including a fishing competition to clear away invasive fish species and an experience of canoeing around the reedbeds.
Reed cutting supports the environment because when the reeds grow, they absorb carbon dioxide and filter impurities from the water to a greater extent. During the pandemic, the reedbed area under management shrunk. Compared to reedbeds that are never trimmed, reedbeds that are periodically trimmed have ticker, longer, and more healthy reeds.
To expand the project outward, we have brought on board more stakeholders outside our network of volunteers. Since the project began in 2017, 35 activities have been held, with a cumulative total of 5,500 people participating. We will hold more activities in the future.

How reed conservation can contribute to a low-carbon world: Showing the impact

In biomass surveys, predetermined samples of the reeds are cut from the reedbeds and their length is measured to derive an average length. The average length is then multiplied by the reed-cutting area to determine the amount of carbon dioxide the reedbeds are sequestering. This formula for calculating the CO₂ absorption in reeds has been published on Shiga Prefecture’s website.
The findings are shared with the organizations and individuals participating in the network to guide their future environmental activities.
In 2023 (counting three rounds of reed cutting), 13.3 tons of carbon dioxide was sequestered over a project area of 12,600 square meters.
There is now a body of evidence to show how the project is contributing toward a low-carbon world. The data has demonstrated that the project is mitigating climate change in addition to improving the lake’s water quality and biodiversity. This knowledge has boosted participants’ motivation and brought more people on board.
The project team plans to expand the use of the tool with a view to benefiting the whole of the prefecture. The team’s vision is to follow up the carbon sequestration work in forests across Japan by developing an unprecedented carbon sequestration system for lakeside environments.

Measuring reed length as part of a biomass survey (in Iba-Naiko and Nishinoko)

Yuimori honored at 6th Eco Pro Awards

Yuimori honored at 2023 Japan Wood Design Award