Tokyo, 5 June, /AJMEDIA/
Japan on Tuesday decided to speed up replacing cedar forests with trees that produce less pollen as a measure to tackle hay fever, an allergy believed to affect some 40 percent of the country’s population.
Japan has set a goal of around a 20 percent reduction in planted cedar tree areas by fiscal 2033. A large number of cedar trees were planted to meet housing demand during Japan’s period of rapid economic growth after the end of World War II.
Pollen dispersion increased as planted cedar forests grew, making hay fever prevalent in Japan since 1970, with many experiencing symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes, mainly during the spring season.
The government will accelerate the felling of cedar forests and replace them with seedlings or other tree species that release less pollen, according to a white paper approved Tuesday by the cabinet.
To achieve the goal, securing a labor force for logging work, stirring demand for cedar lumber and increasing the production of low-pollen seedlings will be needed, the white paper said.
Cedar pollen allergies were estimated to have affected 39 percent of the population in Japan in 2019, up sharply from 16 percent in 1998, according to a nationwide survey of ear, nose and throat doctors and their families.
