Niche Markets for Economic Revitalisation of Satoyama Forest ...

and Fisheries Department, Ishikawa Prefectural Government,
These opinion poll results indicate
a high public awareness
2006a). 20
about, and understanding and
desire for, the benefits of
wooden homes or wood materials. If this poll results reflect
A 2003 national opinion poll—“Opinion Poll about the Forest reality, even if the number of housing construction starts
and Life” (Public Relations Office, Minister’s Secretariat, does not significantly increase, the
use of wood materials,
Cabinet Office, 2003), indicated a general preference for including the use of forest thinnings, for the construction of
wood construction among the public. In response to the wooden homes and as interior
materials could be expanded
question: “What type of home do you
want to choose?”, 80 to meet this consumer preference. For example, there is an
per cent indicated a desire to select a home built from wood increasing trend in the demand for condominiums in urban
(See Figure 2).
areas, partially
due to the aging population. In residences
designed for seniors, even if the residence is not built out of
With respect to the question: “points considered important wood, there
is a good possibility that wood can be used as an
when selecting a home built
with wood”, the following interior material for health and safety reasons.
ranked as the top five: “good quality and performance and
superior durability” (71 per cent),
“material which considers Furthermore, in the near future, it is anticipated that the
human health is being used” (66 per cent), “domestic vast number of retirees from the so–called “baby boom”
materials are being used” (41 per cent), “the type of wood generation will return to their hometowns and build new
materials being used, area of production, and costs are homes or renovate old homes.
clear” (33 per cent), and “products that are easy to recycle
and are environmentally friendly are used” (25 per cent).
As for the “appeal of wood materials”, characteristics such
as “insulating capability,” “humidity regulation”, and “has a
calming effect” were among the top items related to wood
as a construction material, followed by “ability to recycle”
and “a material that can be reproduced” (See Figure 3).
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