The Asahi Forest Movie
For over 80 years, employees have protected the Asahi Forest with their own hands.
Overview of the Asahi Forest
The Asahi Forest, owned by the Asahi Group, is made up of fifteen forests of various sizes straddled across the cities of Shobara and Miyoshi in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.
(Total size: 2,165 hectares; area of forest under management: 2,467 hectares)
It all began in 1941, the Group bought a mountain forest in Hiroshima Prefecture when it was looking for Oriental Oak bark to replace the imported cork which was lining the crown cap on Asahi beer bottles.
Today, under the Asahi Group’s careful forest management, new lives are being nurtured in the forest as a way of contributing to the sustainability of Japanese forests.
Forest of Chinese Cork Oak
（Mt. Akamatsu）
Bark of Chinese Cork Oak
An old crown cap lined with cork.
(Front/back)
Location: Shobara City and Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture
(located in 15 different areas)
A forest composed of plantation and natural woods
76% of the forest is plantation, 24% is natural. We try to maintain a good balance of efficient forestry and preserve biodiversity by caring for planted Japanese cedar and cypress while doing work to mix conifers and hardwoods.
The Asahi Forest’s Preservation Office
To ensure that we can responsibly manage the forest ourselves, we established the Shobara Forestry Office in 1949, which became the Asahi Forest’s Preservation Office in 2007 and currently is managed by the Asahi Group's employees.
Yoichiro Matsuoka
Director
The Asahi Forest’s Preservation Office
The Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd.
Protecting the Forest
Planned forestry
Since the 1960s, the Asahi Forest has focused on planting cypress and cedar for the production of timber. Today, the Asahi Forest’s Preservation Office carries out planned forestry based on a forest management plan. We conduct a sustainable management to forest by nurturing the forest through periodically thinning, and carrying out reforestation (plantation) after cutting the trees down for final harvest (clear-cutting).
Forest Stewardship Council®
The Asahi Forest has received Forest Stewardship Council® in 2001.
In 2005, we additionally acquired a CoC certification to become FSC® FM/CoC certified, and began sales of FSC®-certified timber.
Today, we carry out planned forestry based on a forest management plan.
We believe that responsible forest management comes from practicing in accordance with the FSC®’s principles and standards.
Creatures inhabiting the forest
Asahi fifteen mountains include 668 plants and 60 bird species. Rich biodiversity is made possible through proper forest management.
The Asahi Forest’s Basic Principles for the Conservation of Biodiversity (formulated in 2014)
The Basic Principles were drawn up in 2014 to help realize the Asahi Group’s Declaration on Biodiversity.
biodiversity
- We will protect through the use of coniferous forest.
- We will protect broadleaf forest.
- We will protect the uniqueness of each mountain.
- We will protect the precious living things.
blessings of
the Asahi Forest
- Identify the blessings of nature (ecosystem services).
- Effectively make use of the said nature’s gifts.
- Share nature’s blessings with stakeholders.
the Asahi
Forest
- We will disseminate information.
- We will expand our circle of partners.
- We will create a place for communication.
Making Use of the Forest
The Asahi Group’s Environmental Vision 2050:Securing a Sound Water Cycle
The Asahi Group has redefined the amount of water that is replaced into the groundwater of Asahi Forest, as “the amount of water that can be consistently supplied as groundwater and can be used by local people, animals and plants” by taking into consideration the multifaceted functions of the forest. It has verified the groundwater recharge amount based on the definition, taking into account the opinions of experts. Since then, the managed area has been expanded, and the groundwater recharge amount in Asahi Forest has been 11.01 million m3 since 2021.
The amount of water used by national beer breweries in 2021 was approximately 9.63 million m3/year, which means that more than 100% of the water used by the breweries can be returned to local communities through Asahi Forest. Not content with this result, the Asahi Group will work to preserve sustainable water resources by further improving the efficiency of water use at our factories and continuing to recharge water in Asahi Forest.
Quantification of the Asahi Forest’s Value as a Natural Asset
Example of Quantified Value as Natural Asset (Evaluated by External Experts)
In principle, the evaluation is made in accordance with the Comprehensive Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services*.
*“Report of Comprehensive Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services” (Ministry of the Environment, 2016)
- Qty：
-
9,970,000m3
(transpiration)
- Note：
-
Brings down the
temperature of
a
100km2 area by
2℃
- Qty：
- 12,200 tons
- Note：
- 6.2% of plant
emission
- Qty：
- SO2 184kg
NO2 992kg
- Note：
-
4.3% of plant
emission
1.0% of plant
emission
- Qty：
-
Nitrogen 69 ton
Phosphorus 1 ton
- Qty：
- 92,000 tons
The Asahi Forest’s carbon offset
Carbon offsetting is a scheme where CO2 (carbon) emissions produced through various activities are offset by the amount of carbon reduced from forest absorption. In 2011, the Asahi Forest was issued 1,375t-CO2 worth of credit from the Ministry of the Environment (J-VER scheme *1) as a result of carrying out periodic thinning of the Asahi Forest in a systematic way.
Building value together with the Forest
Shipment and use of timber from forest thinning
Cedar and cypress harvested from the Asahi Forest are shipped and used as timber. One example is the Asahi Forest’s timber was used to build part of Japan National Stadium.
shared office in Osaka
Creating opportunities for the next-generation of forestry leaders
The Asahi Forest is partnering with Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture to host forestry workshops where local elementary school children can experience and become interested in forestry activities.
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A circular disc cut out from thinned timber by a Shobara city student
Opinion exchange meeting on biodiversity preservation
As part of our action plan, we hold regular opinion exchange meetings with academic, government, NPO and corporate experts to discuss potential collaborations and ways of using the forest.
