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
COFI Japan joint promotion efforts with the Japan Wood Truss Council is resulting in expanded opportunities for dimension lumber use in non-traditional markets. As a case in point, a new private elementary school is being constructed with… more
In recent years Canada Wood has been developing infill Midply shear wall systems to target increased market penetration of Canadian structural wood components in post and beam construction. We have recently attained an important milestone… more
As part of our current market access technical development projects, COFI and the Japan 2×4 Home Builders Association are aiming to obtain the ministerial approval of floor/roof diaphragms made from dimension based Nail-Laminated… more
Due in part to an unusually long Golden Week Holiday this year to market the commencement of the Reiwa imperial era, May total housing starts slumped 8.7% to 72,581 units. Rental housing continued to trail year prior results, falling… more
A uniquely designed mid-rise 2×4 nursing home commenced operation on July 1, 2019. It is centrally located in Tokyo’s Setagaya-ward and it will be the third large 2×4 elderly care project to be built in this city in the last… more
On June 25th, Canada Wood Japan’s Shawn Lawlor delivered a lecture on sustainable green building at Showa Women’s University Department of Architecture. A total of 89 undergraduate students attended the lecture. The topics included an… more
COFI shippers got together at Canada Wood Tokyo office on June 19th to review recent market access and market development topics. Canada Wood Tokyo Office hosts these shipper’s meetings approximately 4 times a year for Tokyo based… more
