Mountain Economic Cycle

Grandpa mows the lawn, Grandma does the laundry,
The Japan Herb Research Institute is on a treasure hunt

Kusakiken has its own network of mountain owners across the country called the "Partner Mountain System."
This system makes it possible to harvest delicious plants each season.

The people at Aiboyama are forestry workers who normally make a living by cutting building materials in the forest.
In forestry, plants that can be used as building materials, such as cedar and cypress, have long been a money-maker.
The Kusakiken has taken the opposite approach, challenging itself to create added value by setting original prices for plants that have no price at all in the forestry industry.

This is because building material prices are currently sluggish and Japan's forestry market has shrunk to one-third of its peak.
Forestry is largely divided into two markets: the lumber market, which is shrinking rapidly;
The other is the mushroom production market, which has remained flat for 50 years.
So can we create a third market there?

This is what the Kusakiken focuses on.
In the forestry industry, we aim to create a new market by procuring raw materials for food and daily necessities.
Although the forestry workforce is declining, the sense of crisis is leading to an increase in enterprising young forest owners and workers.
The people at Aibouyama are also curious every day about new ways to utilize the mountains.

And in the food and beverage industry,
Due to the trend towards gastronomy and sustainability, there seems to be a trend towards using domestic ingredients.

We find hope in these areas,
We will begin creating new jobs and businesses in the forestry industry, which has not yet been mass-produced.

Today, we continue to venture into the mountains, imagining a future in which the activities of the Kusakiken will be used to create diverse forests in a sustainable way.