In an encouraging trend, we have seen an increase in nail plate truss use in post and beam non-residential construction in Japan. On a recent trip to Hokkaido, Tokyo based staff had the opportunity to visit two post beam buildings with a… more
Dated March 2nd, 2020, Canada Wood/COFI(Council of Forest Industries) Japan renewed our status as a Registered Overseas Certifying Body (ROCB) under the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) accreditation system supervised by the Ministry… more
As of late March, Japan had a total of 1,905 cases of the Corona Virus – including 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise liner. The nation recorded 53 related deaths thus far. Currently, there are 15 clusters of patients nationwide:… more
According to a Japanese Government Cabinet Office survey conducted in October 2019, the popularity of 2×4 housing continues to gain traction among younger generations in Japan. The survey first reconfirms that the popularity… more
COFI has been working with the Japan 2×4 Home Builder’s Association to facilitate the spread of large-scale wooden buildings using Nail-Laminated Timber (NLT) in horizontal diaphragms such as roof and floor structures. This is… more
COFI conducted a 2×4 Energy Efficiency and Site Visit Seminar in Obihiro, Hokkaido on February 13th and 14th (18 participants) with the cooperation of the support of the Tokachi 2×4 Home Builders Association. Participants, mainly… more
December & Year End 2019 Japan Housing Starts Summary
December total housing starts dropped 7.9% to finish at 72,174 units for the sixth consecutive monthly decline. Owner occupied housing declined 8.7% and rental housing… more
As written in previous blog posts, we are seeing positive increase in the number of agricultural buildings being constructed in Japan, and our joint promotion efforts with the Japan Wood Truss Council (JWTC) is really paying off in… more
November wooden non-residential starts totaled 1,748 buildings for a floor area of 352,723m2. Non-residential wood use for the month is estimated roughly at 61,732m3. Wood held a market share of 38% by number of buildings and 12.1% by… more
November total housing starts dropped 12.7% to finish at 73,523 units for the fifth consecutive monthly decline. Owner occupied housing declined 7.3% and rental housing plunged 17.5% for the 15th consecutive monthly decline. If there was a… more
As part of working group activities of the Japan Wood Research Society, COFI recently visited Honzanji Temple in Kagawa Prefecture, where we witnessed the traditional wooden structure of 5-storey pagoda. The Honzanji Temple in Mitoyo… more
Canada Wood is delighted to report the first commercial application of the Hem Fir (N) & OSB based infill Midply wall for post and beam applications. As part of his technical promotions and outreach activities, Canada Wood’s Yusuke… more
Japan Housing Starts Summary for September 2019
September total housing starts fell 4.9% to finish at 77,915 units. Owner occupied housing declined 3.5% compared to a 16.8% fall in rental housing. The condominium (mansion) market… more
As a sign of a changing era, on September 3, 2019, a 5-story building “Hotel Discover Kyoto Nagaoka” opened on the doorstep of Japan’s famous old capital Kyoto. As we know in North America it is quite common to see 3-stories… more
Hidehiko Fumoto of the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) was honoured on October 12 with the Housing Bureau Director General Award from Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) for contributions to the Japanese… more
Japan Housing Starts Summary for June 2019
Total housing starts for June posted a small 0.2% increase to finish at 81,451 units. While owner occupied housing continued its 9th consecutive monthly gain, rental housing fell for the… more
On September 20th and 21st NRCan Director, Jeff Biggs visited the Osaka region with Canada Wood’s Shawn Lawlor to learn further about market opportunities for non-residential wooden construction. Pictured above, we visited the Osaka… more
COFI received a unique request from a former seminar participant attending a 2×4 non-residential seminar in Kobe on November 10, 2017. The request was to show a group of 16 architects 2×4 sites in Hokkaido. The group, including… more
We understand that North American building codes do not require any special evaluation procedures such as “alternative solutions” when a designer wishes to use NLT as a structural member. In Japan, this is partially true, but the… more
On September 19th and 20th Canada held trilateral talks with the US Embassy and industry associations and Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forests & Fisheries (MAFF), the Forestry Agency and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,… more
