Total non-residential construction for 2018 declined 3.5% by number of buildings to 55,220 units or by floor area by 2.1% to 39,772,196m2. The number of wooden units fell by 2.9% and floor area declined 3.5% to 3,768,354m2. Overall market… more
In 2018 total housing starts declined 2.2% to 942,370 units. Wooden housing fell 1.1% to 539,394 units. As a percentage of overall housing, wooden homes increased to 57.2%, the strongest showing in over three decades. Of all housing, post… more
January housing starts peaked out a 1.1% increase to finish at 67,087 units, but for wooden construction cheery news was in short supply. Owner occupied housing increased 3.3% for the 4th consecutive monthly gain, but rental housing… more
On a recent trip to Japan, B.C. Minister of State for Trade, the Honourable George Chow visited a wooden elderly care facility in Tokyo with COFI and Canada Wood staff on March 18th. While touring the site, the minister was introduced to… more
COFI conducted its second Wood Midrise Design Competition this fiscal year, which began October 17, 2018 and applications from architects and construction firms were received until January 18nd, 2019. Judging for the competition was done… more
On February 18th, Canada Wood’s Shawn Lawlor participated in a round table discussion hosted by the Japan Forestry Agency Director General Kouji Makimoto and members of the Osaka Prefectural Lumber Federation. The round table was a… more
Xyence Co., Ltd, a leading pressure treating company in Japan, recently obtained a pressure treating certificate allowing for the first time for SPF to be treated with Azole-pyrethroid. Anti-termite and anti-decay treatments are… more
While still registering positive growth, the Japanese economy is facing headwinds of sluggish consumer demand and slowing exports. In 2018 Japan achieved record number of inbound tourists at 31.19 million; with tourism spending also… more
October total housing starts declined 0.6% to 84,213 units. The recent trend of resilience in owner occupied starts and sluggishness in rentals continued. Owner occupied housing starts increased 2.5%, whereas rental housing fell 6.9%…. more
COFI Tokyo launched its second YouTube and Facebook advertising social media promotion campaign last month to create awareness and positively brand 2×4 to prospective home buyers in Japan. This year’s campaign runs for three… more
Following an extensive testing program, in 2013 COFI obtained a voluntary evaluation certificate from the Japan Housing and Wood Technology Centre (HOWTEC) which eliminated technical barriers in using Canadian 2×4, 2×6 and… more
As reported in this blog in August 2018, the Midply Wall System has been officially positioned in the Japanese PFC building code by means of a revision to the “Green Book” structural design manual. Local building officials refer to… more
Thanks to the past 2-hour fire resistive approvals, midrise PFC buildings of up to 6 storeys are now technically achievable in Japan. However, the hurdles are still too high for the structural designers to seek the building permits. This… more
As part of the APA “Canadian OSB Users Newsletter” project, our consultant and I recently visited a housing company in Kanagawa Prefecture to interview them about a 1-storey wooden factory building that will produce organic leaf… more
The Tokachi 2×4 Association celebrated its 40th anniversary on October 24th and 25th. The organization is made up of twenty-two local 2×4 home builders and they design and build some of the best quality 2×4 homes in Japan…. more
On October 18th, Canada Wood’s Shawn Lawlor delivered a keynote presentation at the JAS 2×4 Lumber Council’s symposium for their Building Products Study Group. A total of 45 lumber end users and purchasing managers attended the… more
We are working on a technical project to obtain third party voluntary evaluation of 2×10 and 2×12 dimension lumber in post and beam horizontal applications this fiscal year. This project will give both architects and structural… more
Subsequently to establishing an NLT technical committee in April 2018, COFI and the Japan 2×4 Home Builders Association has been working together on several Nail Laminated Timber (NLT) test programs. One technical project is to… more
In September total housing starts edged down 1.5% to 81,903 units. Owner occupied housing was unchanged compared to a 5.8% decrease in rental housing. Total wooden housing was also unchanged at 48,404 starts. However, weakness in rental… more
Tokushima Newspaper organized and sponsored a local housing fair that was held on September 15th and 16th in Tokushima city, which is the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island. If you are not aware, Shikoku island is a… more
