Japan’s lumber market is increasingly turning toward domestically sourced timber, with growing use of sugi (Japanese cedar) driven by government policies, maturing forest resources, and rising import costs. While imported spruce remains the preferred material for many structural applications, market participants said sugi is gaining acceptance in selected framing uses, aided by government initiatives promoting domestic timber.

• Japan’s wood self-sufficiency rate rose from 18.8% in 2002 to 42.5% in 2024, government data shows.
• Declining spruce availability from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe has tightened supply and increased pine availability.
• Government measures encourage domestic timber use through subsidies, procurement requirements and public building policies nationwide.
• Sugi is gaining acceptance in selected framing applications, though spruce remains preferred for structural performance.
• Industry participants said stronger harvesting, drying, quality control and logistics capabilities are still needed nationwide.