Tokyu Land Launches 'Tateshina Karamatsu' Project for Regional Resource Circulation in Tateshina Resort

Tokyu Land Corporation (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Tatsuaki Tanaka) has launched 'Tateshina Karamatsu,' a regional co-creation project aimed at solving regional forest issues and realizing a circular cycle using local timber, at 'Tokyu Resort Town Tateshina' (Chino City, Nagano Prefecture; General Manager: Hiroya Sasamoto), a sustainable resort surrounded by the rich nature of Tateshina.

By implementing a cycle of cutting, processing, delivering, and growing centered on larch (Karamatsu) in collaboration with local partners, the project promotes environmental considerations (decarbonization, regional circulation, and biodiversity) with the goal of realizing a society where forests and people resonate richly with each other.

### Background of the Initiative
Tateshina in Chino City, Nagano, located at the foot of the Yatsugatake Mountains, has been inhabited since before the Jomon period and has flourished alongside rich nature. However, in recent years, trees planted during the rapid economic growth era have grown significantly over approximately 50 years, leading to overcrowded forests. This overcrowding blocks sunlight, preventing undergrowth and increasing disaster risks. Additionally, the costs and systems required for regular thinning and maintenance have become a burden, making forest preservation difficult.

In response, Tokyu Land focused on the 'Karamatsu' (Larch) widespread in this region. This strong and flexible timber, nurtured by the harsh environment of Shinshu, is highly water-resistant. Although its difficulty in processing has limited its use in the past, the project aims to unlock its potential through new technologies and ideas to connect it to the region's future.

### What is the Regional Co-creation Project 'Tateshina Karamatsu'?
This project aims to maximize the potential of larch in collaboration with local partners and is the collective name for all products and experiences born from this cycle. It seeks to deliver the blessings of the forest to people's lives and return the joy and economic benefits generated back into the power to nurture the forest, making both residents and businesses participants in this new circulation.

[Tateshina Karamatsu Brand Site] https://karamatsu.tateshina-tokyu.com

### Five Brand Philosophies of 'Tateshina Karamatsu'
1. **Material**: Use only larch grown in the Tateshina forest. Nurtured at an altitude of about 1,000m at the foot of the Yatsugatake Mountains, this timber possesses durability, water resistance, and beautiful hues.
2. **Waste Reduction**: Utilize the entire tree. The trunk becomes building material or furniture, branches are made into daily tools, and leaves/chips are transformed into aroma products or energy.
3. **Environment**: Minimize transportation energy by processing and distributing within the region. We continue to explore ways for forests and people to coexist while protecting forest soil and ecosystems.
4. **Space**: Harvesting is not the end of the forest but the beginning of its rebirth. By bringing light to the forest floor, we create environments where diverse plants and creatures can thrive, creating an 'open field' where everyone can touch, learn from, and play with the vitality of nature.
5. **Partners**: We will engage in open dialogue with foresters, sawmills, designers, and users, growing value together through visible relationships.

### 'TENOHA Tateshina': The Hub for Value Communication
The hub for experiencing the world of 'Tateshina Karamatsu' is the information center 'TENOHA Tateshina,' located in the heart of Tokyu Resort Town Tateshina. The furniture and wall materials in this facility are made 100% from thinned 'Tateshina Karamatsu' wood harvested within the town premises. The entire facility embodies a regional circulation model of 'growing in the region and utilizing in the region.' Visitors can enjoy the warmth and beauty of larch with their five senses while naturally experiencing the story of the Tateshina forest and environmental conservation efforts.

### Overview of 'Tokyu Resort Town Tateshina'
Tokyu Resort Town Tateshina is located in Tateshina, a scenic mountain resort area stretching across the west side of Mount Tateshina and Northern Mount Yokodake in central Nagano Prefecture. Covering a vast area of approximately 660 hectares (about 140 Tokyo Domes), it is a nature-integrated sustainable resort featuring a full-scale golf course, ski resort, tennis courts, villas, hotels, hot spring spas, and restaurants, where 'playing,' 'staying,' 'eating,' 'healing,' 'learning,' and 'working' can all be achieved in harmony with nature.

**Location**: 4026-2 Shikayama, Kitayama, Chino City, Nagano Prefecture 391-0301
**Tokyu Resort Town Tateshina Official Site**: https://www.tateshina-tokyu.com