Restoring Mt. Takamaru’s Native Woodland

After post-WWII cedar plantations made farming Japanese lumber unviable once foreign imports arrived in 1964, Kamikatsu in Tokushima began restoring 116 hectares of Mt. Takamaru to native woodland. The project, part of the Millennium Forest Restoration initiative, involves growing saplings from locally collected seeds and planting species matched to the terrain: southern Japanese hemlock on ridges, beech on slopes, yellow-paint maple in valleys. Thirty-two species were planted between 2004 and 2006. Community members and volunteer groups continue to manage the area, cutting weeds and pruning vines. The forest now serves as a long-term study site for forest growth and a hands-on space for conservation participation.