Abstract
We found original copies of valuable forest ecological survey reports that were carried out in the early Showa era in Japan. The 662 survey reports discovered were the result of vegetation surveys conducted by technical officers in six regional forest offices (Aomori, Akita, Tokyo, Osaka, Kochi, and Kumamoto) and were based on the “Research Methods for Government-Owned Natural Forest,” issued by the Forestry Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in 1926. The reports contain abundant valuable original forest vegetation data, including tree size and vegetation maps. The purpose of this paper is to document the historical storage process of these reports, publish the report catalogue for forestry researchers, and digitize the original data to promote its use in future forestry research and management.
