Call for Participants: Media Tour to Observe Everything from Nurturing Kishu Timber to Sawmilling, Structural Design, and Pre-cut Processing
Yamacho Shoten Co., Ltd. will host a media tour on May 27-28, 2026, in Wakayama Prefecture, showcasing their integrated timber production from forestry to pre-cut processing and structural design.
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- 📰 Published: April 25, 2026 at 03:38
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Yamacho Shoten Co., Ltd. (Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture; Representative: Choji Enomoto), which conducts integrated timber production from tree planting to pre-cut processing, will hold a 2-day, 1-night media tour on Wednesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 28, 2026, to observe forestry sites, sawmills, and pre-cut processing. The tour will also introduce the coordination between structural design of buildings and pre-cutting in response to the revision of the Building Standards Act in April 2025. We are currently accepting participants.
Mechanized extraction work at company-owned forest (Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture)
Automated pre-cut factory linked with CAD / CAD Operation Room
Tour Contents
Purpose of the Event
The Grand Roof Ring, which welcomed 25.57 million visitors as the symbol of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, greatly expanded the possibilities of Japan's traditional wooden architecture and simultaneously highlighted the role timber plays in preserving the global environment. In recent years, the construction of high-rise wooden buildings that create "forests" in cities has progressed, and the use of wooden interior materials in public buildings is also increasing.
Over the 300 years since its founding in the mid-Edo period, Yamacho Shoten has built a history alongside wood, contributing to a circular society as a company connecting "forests" and "cities." In this tour, we will guide you through the process of growing trees in harmony with nature and shipping the highest quality Kishu timber (cedar and cypress), which boasts excellent strength.
Schedule
Dates
Wednesday, May 27 - Thursday, May 28, 2026
This is a 2-day, 1-night schedule. On the first day, a tour of the company-owned forest and log yard is planned, and on the second day, a tour of the headquarters and sawmill is planned. (Order may change depending on the weather)
Public Transportation Access
JR Kinokuni Line Kii-Tanabe Station (Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture)
Nanki-Shirahama Airport (Shirahama Town, Nishimuro-gun, Wakayama Prefecture)
*We will provide a shuttle service if you use either of these.
Tour Locations
Company-owned forest (Shirahama Town), log yard (Kamitonda Town), headquarters sawmill (Tanabe City), pre-cut processing plant, CAD (Computer-Aided Design) operation room, structural design office.
Participation Conditions
[Target] Media personnel from newspapers, magazines, television, radio, online media, etc.
[Costs] Yamacho Shoten will cover the cost of buses moving between tour locations and lunch on the day. Participants are responsible for travel expenses to Yamacho Shoten's headquarters and accommodation expenses.
Application Contact
TEL: 0739-22-2605 Email: sakohira@yamacho-net.co.jp FAX: 0739-22-0919
Yamacho Shoten Contact: Sakohira
Application Deadline
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Highlights
1. Company-owned Forest
The vast 6,000-hectare forest owned by Yamacho Shoten absorbs 20,000 tons of CO2 annually. We will guide you through a circular forest where saplings are planted, grown, and harvested.
2. Felling and Logging
In the rugged Kii Mountains, felled timber is gathered using wire ropes called "Yaen" (wild monkeys), and large forestry machinery is used for logging and extraction. You will observe logging operations using forestry machinery.
3. Log Storage and Selection
Timber cut from the mountains is gathered at the log yard in Kamitonda Town. Here, it is sorted by material quality, and high-quality logs are transported to Yamacho's sawmill.
4. Sawmilling
Craftsmen instantly determine the "habits" of each individual piece of material, and automated sawmilling equipment produces high-quality lumber. The finished square timber is dried using state-of-the-art "high-temperature steam vacuum dryers" to create stable, warp-free lumber.
*Highly Strong Kishu Timber
Kishu timber has long been said to be "tenacious." Wakayama Prefecture has been conducting research on the strength of Kishu timber (cedar and cypress). The results proved that the Young's modulus, which indicates wood strength, is E110 for cypress and E90 for cedar, far higher than general wood of the same species. Furthermore, even compared to glued laminated timber with equivalent Young's modulus, its individual performance values are exceptionally high. Yamacho Shoten has been selling domestic cedar flat square JAS-certified products since July 2008.
5. Grading
Moisture content and strength are measured and automatically printed on the lumber. Through "visualization of wood performance," we deliver products that residents can use with peace of mind.
6. Pre-cut Processing
Based on CAD-designed data, lumber is processed at the pre-cut factory. Skilled carpenters are stationed alongside processing by state-of-the-art automated machinery. Skilled carpenters use traditional techniques to handle complex processing that is often avoided at general pre-cut factories.
7. In-house Structural Design Office
In response to the revision of the Building Standards Act in April 2025, Muku First Structural Design Office was established as a group company. We have prepared an integrated system that handles everything from selecting pillar sizes and materials, CAD design to processing and shipping.
About Yamacho Shoten
Yamacho Shoten is one of the few forestry businesses in Japan that conducts integrated timber production, from planting to forest cultivation, felling, sawmilling, and pre-cut processing. Its history spans 300 years since its founding as a charcoal wholesaler in the mid-Edo period. It harvests 60- to 100-year-old trees from its approximately 6,000 hectares of owned forests.
Mechanized extraction work at company-owned forest (Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture)
Automated pre-cut factory linked with CAD / CAD Operation Room
Tour Contents
Purpose of the Event
The Grand Roof Ring, which welcomed 25.57 million visitors as the symbol of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, greatly expanded the possibilities of Japan's traditional wooden architecture and simultaneously highlighted the role timber plays in preserving the global environment. In recent years, the construction of high-rise wooden buildings that create "forests" in cities has progressed, and the use of wooden interior materials in public buildings is also increasing.
Over the 300 years since its founding in the mid-Edo period, Yamacho Shoten has built a history alongside wood, contributing to a circular society as a company connecting "forests" and "cities." In this tour, we will guide you through the process of growing trees in harmony with nature and shipping the highest quality Kishu timber (cedar and cypress), which boasts excellent strength.
Schedule
Dates
Wednesday, May 27 - Thursday, May 28, 2026
This is a 2-day, 1-night schedule. On the first day, a tour of the company-owned forest and log yard is planned, and on the second day, a tour of the headquarters and sawmill is planned. (Order may change depending on the weather)
Public Transportation Access
JR Kinokuni Line Kii-Tanabe Station (Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture)
Nanki-Shirahama Airport (Shirahama Town, Nishimuro-gun, Wakayama Prefecture)
*We will provide a shuttle service if you use either of these.
Tour Locations
Company-owned forest (Shirahama Town), log yard (Kamitonda Town), headquarters sawmill (Tanabe City), pre-cut processing plant, CAD (Computer-Aided Design) operation room, structural design office.
Participation Conditions
[Target] Media personnel from newspapers, magazines, television, radio, online media, etc.
[Costs] Yamacho Shoten will cover the cost of buses moving between tour locations and lunch on the day. Participants are responsible for travel expenses to Yamacho Shoten's headquarters and accommodation expenses.
Application Contact
TEL: 0739-22-2605 Email: sakohira@yamacho-net.co.jp FAX: 0739-22-0919
Yamacho Shoten Contact: Sakohira
Application Deadline
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Highlights
1. Company-owned Forest
The vast 6,000-hectare forest owned by Yamacho Shoten absorbs 20,000 tons of CO2 annually. We will guide you through a circular forest where saplings are planted, grown, and harvested.
2. Felling and Logging
In the rugged Kii Mountains, felled timber is gathered using wire ropes called "Yaen" (wild monkeys), and large forestry machinery is used for logging and extraction. You will observe logging operations using forestry machinery.
3. Log Storage and Selection
Timber cut from the mountains is gathered at the log yard in Kamitonda Town. Here, it is sorted by material quality, and high-quality logs are transported to Yamacho's sawmill.
4. Sawmilling
Craftsmen instantly determine the "habits" of each individual piece of material, and automated sawmilling equipment produces high-quality lumber. The finished square timber is dried using state-of-the-art "high-temperature steam vacuum dryers" to create stable, warp-free lumber.
*Highly Strong Kishu Timber
Kishu timber has long been said to be "tenacious." Wakayama Prefecture has been conducting research on the strength of Kishu timber (cedar and cypress). The results proved that the Young's modulus, which indicates wood strength, is E110 for cypress and E90 for cedar, far higher than general wood of the same species. Furthermore, even compared to glued laminated timber with equivalent Young's modulus, its individual performance values are exceptionally high. Yamacho Shoten has been selling domestic cedar flat square JAS-certified products since July 2008.
5. Grading
Moisture content and strength are measured and automatically printed on the lumber. Through "visualization of wood performance," we deliver products that residents can use with peace of mind.
6. Pre-cut Processing
Based on CAD-designed data, lumber is processed at the pre-cut factory. Skilled carpenters are stationed alongside processing by state-of-the-art automated machinery. Skilled carpenters use traditional techniques to handle complex processing that is often avoided at general pre-cut factories.
7. In-house Structural Design Office
In response to the revision of the Building Standards Act in April 2025, Muku First Structural Design Office was established as a group company. We have prepared an integrated system that handles everything from selecting pillar sizes and materials, CAD design to processing and shipping.
About Yamacho Shoten
Yamacho Shoten is one of the few forestry businesses in Japan that conducts integrated timber production, from planting to forest cultivation, felling, sawmilling, and pre-cut processing. Its history spans 300 years since its founding as a charcoal wholesaler in the mid-Edo period. It harvests 60- to 100-year-old trees from its approximately 6,000 hectares of owned forests.