A collaborative project called "Shingohan (tentative name)" has been launched to recycle small diameter trees into high-value-added building materials.

The four companies, Tree to Green (headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Director: Yusuke Aono), Salt Terminal (headquarters: Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture; Director: Goro Tomoyasu), Takenaka Corporation (headquarters: Chuo City, Osaka City; Director: Masato Sasaki), and our company, will jointly develop a project called "Shingohan (tentative name)" in Shiojiri City and Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture, which will involve plywood manufacturing and interior material processing, as a core business of the "Kiso Forest Grand Cycle Initiative," which aims to build a circular economy that utilizes the forest resources of the Kiso region.

The four companies have established Tsumikasane Co., Ltd. as the operating company for this project, and will operate the business from two bases: the "First Factory" at the former Narakawa Junior High School (Shiojiri City) and the "Second Factory" at the former Ueda Elementary School (Kiso Town).

This project aims to recycle small-diameter trees, which have been difficult to utilize effectively until now, into high-value-added plywood that can be used in construction, interior decoration, and furniture, thereby creating new value for forest resources in the Kiso region and revitalizing the local economy.

News Release
Two abandoned schools in the Kiso region will be used to build a new plywood manufacturing and interior materials processing factory.
~ Launch of "Shingohan (tentative name)," a co-creation project to recycle small-diameter trees into high-value-added building materials ~

Project Overview

• ● Project name: "(tentative name) Shingohan"
• ● Operating company: Tsumikasane Co., Ltd. (URL: https://shingohan.com/)

• ・Head office: 6943-1 Shinkai, Kiso-machi, Kiso-gun, Nagano Prefecture
• ・Representative: Yusuke Aono
• Business: Manufacturing and sales of veneer and plywood
• Shareholders: Tree to Green, Salt Terminal, Takenaka Corporation, Tanseisha
• ・Factory location: First Factory, 1037-3 Narai, Shiojiri City
  Second Factory: Shinkai, Kiso-machi, Kiso-gun

Overview of the Forest Grand Cycle

Takenaka Corporation has named this sustainable virtuous cycle between forest resources and the local economy the "Forest Grand Cycle®," and is working to build it by collaborating with various stakeholders, including forestry businesses and local governments.

Innovation in wood is expected to lead to the utilization of forest resources in the construction market, resulting in a more vibrant economy and resource circulation. We believe that this virtuous cycle, centered on forest-producing areas, will encourage the restructuring of cities and towns into more sustainable urban structures, while creating demand for timber will lead to the revival of forestry, reforestation, and ultimately to the circulation of wealth and resources.

The Kiso Forest Grand Cycle Initiative is an initiative to put these ideas into practice in the Kiso region of Nagano Prefecture, which is rich in forest resources. It will establish a process for converting small-diameter trees and unused timber into high-value-added building materials, and will promote the healthy regeneration of forests, the revitalization of the local economy, and the utilization of local timber in an integrated manner.

This project, tentatively named Shingohan, will be positioned as a plywood manufacturing and interior material processing base, which will play a central role in this endeavor. It will also be the starting point for timber distribution from Kiso to the city, and aims to become a model for implementing sustainable connections between forests and cities.

● First Factory (Shiojiri City, former Narakawa Junior High School): Base for manufacturing veneers from logs

● Second Factory (Kiso Town, former Ueda Elementary School): Base for manufacturing plywood from veneer

Purpose of participating in the project

• ・Tree to Green: Contributing to the forest, timber and woodworking industries, primarily in the Kiso region
• Salt terminal: Promoting initiatives to address local issues such as forest resources and employment opportunities
• ・Takenaka Corporation: Promoting the forest grand cycle to revitalize local communities and effectively utilize and add value to forest resources
• ・Tanseisha: Promoting the use of wood for interior decoration in social interaction spaces such as Commercial Spaces, and creating opportunities to foster and raise environmental awareness both inside and outside the company.

Future outlook

Facility renovations and production line design are currently underway, with the first and second factories set to begin full-scale operation in the fall of 2026. Each company will continue to utilize their respective expertise and networks to promote the widespread use and practical application of building materials based on the "Forest Grand Cycle" through their own projects and the introduction of the materials to related companies.

Regarding the First Factory, formerly the Narakawa Junior High School, Shiojiri City, Shiojiri City Forestry Corporation, Salt Terminal, and Takenaka Corporation are working together to turn it into a forest hub that will not only house a plywood factory, but also serve as a facility for interaction and innovation among companies and people involved in forestry and woodworking.