Engaging Japan’s Builders with Canada’s Sustainable Forestry and Coastal Hem-Fir Products
During September, Canada Wood Japan organized two workshops in Japan to highlight Canada’s sustainable forest practices and the quality and versatility of BC Coastal wood products shipped to the Japanese market.
Workshop with Ken Depot and Shinohara Shoten
The first event was held in partnership with Ken Depot, a leading pro-DIY retailer, and Shinohara Shoten, a long-time Canadian lumber importer and pre-cut operator supplying both Coastal Hem-Fir and Interior SPF lumber to more than 50 Ken Depot stores in the Greater Tokyo area.
Ken Depot invited its largest lumber buyers to a two-hour Sunday “lunch and learn” session in Tokyo, which drew about 100 participants, mainly small home builders and carpenters. Following a lunch featuring Canadian ingredients, the Canada Wood team delivered a presentation on sustainable forest management in Canada and the attributes of Coastal lumber.
The session also featured an engaging Canada-themed quiz, with the top five participants each receiving a ¥5,000 Japanese Yen ($50 Canadian dollars) rice gift certificate—a popular prize given the recent surge in rice prices. The venue was decorated with Canadian nature photography and Hem-Fir pre-cut samples, creating a distinctly Canadian atmosphere.
To wrap up, attendees joined a lively Jenga competition using large blocks of Hem-Fir lumber, with winners taking home Canadian maple syrup and other gifts. Both Ken Depot and Shinohara expressed strong satisfaction with the event and showed interest in hosting a similar session next year—potentially focusing on 2×4 construction.
Seminar and Plant Tour with Koshii Lumber
Later that week, Canada Wood held another lunch and learn seminar and plant tour with Koshii Lumber in Osaka. A leading treater of BC Hem-Fir lumber and long-time supporter of Canadian products, Koshii hosted 18 participants from the local building industry.
The seminar focused on sustainable forest management on the BC Coast and the performance of Hem-Fir lumber, especially for use in treated sill plates. Koshii’s technical representative gave an excellent presentation on the importance of using treated wood in Japanese home construction.
The event concluded with a guided tour of Koshii’s treatment plant, where participants saw the treatment process firsthand and observed the extent of termite damage on untreated wood.
Overall, both events successfully deepened industry understanding of Canada’s responsible forestry practices and the reliability of Coastal Hem-Fir, strengthening Canada’s reputation as a trusted supplier to Japan’s wood construction sector.