FUKUOKA – What began as a local push to tame Japan’s overgrown bamboo forests has grown into something much bigger.
Today, the fast-growing grass is being transformed into everything from construction materials to chic furniture pieces celebrated on the world stage.
Countries as far afield as India and nations in Africa are sending envoys to see how Japan is rewriting the story of bamboo. Experts say the initiatives not only promise new industries but could also help tackle the problem of abandoned bamboo groves, which threaten to trigger landslides if left unchecked.
Bamboo “may be effective on sites for cultural facilities where concrete cannot be used due to regulations,” said an official from the state of Assam in northeastern India, who visited the Oka Castle Ruins, a national historic site designated by the Japanese government, in Takeda, Oita Prefecture, in late May.
The officials and others on the tour of the site were inspecting a sidewalk where bamboo chips had been mixed into paving material.
The application of bamboo to road pavement is an effective heat countermeasure though high costs remain a challenge, said Kenichi Sato, professor of road engineering at Fukuoka University.
The use of bamboo also helps in addressing problems associated with abandoned bamboo forests, he said.
India boasts some of the world’s largest bamboo forests. About 30 percent of these forests are concentrated in the northeast, away from urban areas and in predominantly poor rural regions.
The inspection team said it hopes to utilize bamboo for economic development. African nations, where road infrastructure struggles to keep pace with the spread of automobiles, have also expressed interest in using bamboo for their roadways.
At Kagoshima University, Ichiro Oshima, an associate professor who specializes in livestock husbandry, is advancing research on bamboo as livestock feed.
His studies show that feeding pigs a diet supplemented with fibrous bamboo yields growth and meat quality equal to or better than that of pigs fed a standard diet.
The delegation from India visiting the university’s ranch expressed strong interest in applying this technology in their own country.
Bamboo shoots emerge anew to form new canes each year, with some species recorded to grow over one meter in a single day. According to the Forestry Agency, Japan’s bamboo forest area roughly increased by 15 percent in around three decades up to 2022.
Meanwhile, the spread of plastic products and the aging of producers have led to a decline in demand and production of domestic bamboo, with abandoned bamboo forests becoming increasingly common.
In neglected bamboo forests, sunlight is blocked from reaching the ground, preventing trees with thick, deep roots from growing, which increases the risk of landslides.
Teori Ltd. in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, makes furniture with local bamboo in a bid to create a “bamboo circular economy.” The company focuses on locally sourced bamboo that has been incinerated.
In 2024, its “5 Chair” made entirely from bamboo won the prestigious German iF Design Award, recognized for its environmental friendliness among other considerations.
Teori has been selling its products in the United States and Europe. Noting that bamboo furniture is bendable and durable, Masaki Kenmotsu, head of marketing, said, “Our products are highly regarded even in the demanding European and American markets, where the approach to manufacturing and dedication to materials are rigorously scrutinized.”
Heightened awareness about the issue of abandoned bamboo forests has prompted the domestic use of the plant, according to Shozo Shibata, director of the Japan Bamboo Society.
Shibata emphasized that “public-private collaboration should be strengthened for the effective use of these resources” in such a way as to create a network that enables multiple companies to jointly share bamboo forests.
AloJapan.com