An investigation of the transformed forestry sector in Japan and Taiwan

Forests provide various services and benefits, including national land conservation, water preservation, ecological conservation, forest recreation, and timber production. Although Japan established the first Forest Act as early as 1897, this article focuses on the period after World War II until now. Both Japan and Taiwan have established laws and regulations concerning forests. Various laws and regulations have resulted in different forest and forestry policies, the implementation of which can be divided into several periods. The purpose of this study was to conduct a policy comparison of Japan and Taiwan to understand the history of related regulatory amendments, thereby providing a reference basis for the sustainable development of the forest industry. The research results showed that in addition to an increased emphasis on sustainable forest management following international trends, the focus of postwar forestry developments of the two countries transformed from economic benefits based on timber production to multifunctional benefits including forest recreation. In the future, the governments of both countries must focus on hillside hazards and the low domestic timber self-sufficiency rate. Citizens of both countries value national land conservation as well as recreation and enjoyment; therefore, future forestry policies of Japan and Taiwan should strive for the balance between the ecological and economic functions of forests through adjustments to achieve sustainable forest management.