Abstract
It has been reported that forest resources in Japan have not been utilized enough, and as a result, the forests are not managed appropriately and sufficiently. On the other hand, forests not only provide wood resources, but also play various roles which make our lives safe and satisfactory, and continuing forest management is indispensable to keep those funcions work well. To discuss how to utilize the functions enough, we at first gathered statistics which describe declining trends in the forest industry in Japan, and summarized the background theoretically as social dilemma problems both in demand and supply of forest resources. In the next part, we reported, based on an interview to the Shimokarato Forestry and Agricultural Association in Kobe city, the importance of the members’ identity and sense of responsibility fostered by their cooperative activities, and the fact that those activities have been driven by organizational systems such as “Oyaku”. Finally, based on forestry statistics and discussions on national policies, we argued that we need to increase the demands for domestic wood resources and to stimulate the public opinion to support it.
