B.C.’s largest-ever forestry trade mission to Japan in November 2025 demonstrated how co-ordinated government and industry outreach can transform long-standing relationships into valuable market opportunities.

Led by the B.C. Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar, the mission was organized by Canada Wood Japan in collaboration with FII, and included provincial government representatives and a broad delegation of B.C. forest industry representatives. BC Wood led a parallel industry mission, and the Wood Pellet Association of Canada hosted a dedicated wood pellet customer event, further strengthening sector-wide outreach. More than 10 percent of the delegates represented First Nations or First Nations-owned forestry businesses, reflecting the shared commitment to growing these markets.

The mission targeted high-priority growth segments in Japan—mid-rise, non-residential and engineered wood applications—which laid the groundwork for expanded wood use and future sales.

The delegation advanced B.C.’s position by engaging with influential decision-makers in government ministries and industry associations, as well as with builders, designers, developers and supply chain partners. At the Japan Market Strategy Review, priorities to accelerate mid-rise and non-residential wood construction were defined, and joint technical initiatives to enable broader wood use were identified. Site visits showcased how B.C. wood is advancing low-carbon, resilient construction methods.

These efforts strengthened relationships, reinforced shared commitments to environmental and sustainable development objectives, and expanded opportunities for B.C.’s primary and value-added wood sectors in a market that remains central to long-term diversification and export growth.

Photo: Canada Wood

To address the growing pressures of building housing on smaller, narrower urban lots and the need to ensure that Japan’s Building Standard Law seismic performance requirements are met, Canada Wood Japan has developed and successfully tested an innovative narrow shear wall measuring 300 mm wide—one-third the width of the typical 910 mm shear wall. Despite its compact width, it outperforms the seismic requirements of Japan’s building code. This makes it one of the narrowest high-performance shear walls under development for residential construction—and demonstrates that a system built with Canadian lumber and oriented strand board (OSB) can satisfy some of the world’s strictest building codes. The thinner size also increases the available interior space and layout options for new builds.

Photo: Canada Wood

Two technical issues—seismic performance and fire-resistance—have tended to hold back larger wood building projects in Japan. A new mid-rise commercial building in Japan shows that both issues can be dealt with successfully.

“This is Me” is a five-storey commercial building constructed entirely of wood. To deal with seismic performance, the building uses a high-performance Midply Wood Shear Wall System made from Canadian S-P-F lumber and oriented strand board (OSB). The approach was developed in Vancouver by FPInnovations. Canada Wood worked with Japanese officials to have the engineered building assembly certified under Japan’s Building Standards Law. With this certification, the Canadian Midply Wall System has now been used in more than 10,000 projects across Japan.

To achieve fire safety approvals, the building uses assemblies developed in partnership with the Japan 2×4 Home Builders Association. The approach was extensively tested by authorities before receiving fireproof approvals. Without these fireproof approvals, the project could not have been built.

The 592-square-metre building makes extensive use of Canadian 2×4 and 2×6 S-P-F dimension lumber.

With the resolution of the seismic and fireproofing issues, “This is Me” sends the powerful message “This is possible” to Japanese developers regarding wood use for mid-rise projects.

Photo: Fuji Realty Co., Ltd.

Canada Wood Japan is leveraging a surge in tourism-driven construction demand to position B.C. wood products and expertise as a top choice for low- to mid-rise hotel development.

A decade of significant tourism growth—rising from 13.4 million inbound visitors in 2014 to 42.7 million in 2025, with government targets of 60 million by 2030—has created an acute accommodation shortage. Current projections suggest a deficit of 300,000 to 400,000 rooms nationwide. Wood construction offers clear advantages in speed, design flexibility, carbon performance and seismic resilience; however, it is underused in hotel and hospitality buildings.

To capitalize on the current surge in hospitality construction, Canada Wood Japan is engaging directly with developers, builders, architects and construction firms to position wood as an alternative to steel and concrete and build confidence that it is a practical, scalable solution.
This engagement combines targeted outreach, technical discussions and project-level collaboration. A central element is the development of a suite of non-residential 2×4 case studies, including hospitality projects, that demonstrate how light-frame and hybrid wood systems can meet Japan’s structural, fire and durability requirements.

T-home KEI Hotel

The T-home KEI Hotel in Tokyo integrates traditional Japanese design with modern wood construction, consisting of six two-storey buildings built entirely of wood, using 419 m³ of timber, including 242 m³ of S-P-F dimension lumber. Constructed by Mitsui Home, this project illustrates how the long-term collaboration between Canada Wood and Japanese industry partners results in tangible outcomes and opportunities for Canadian forest product exporters.

Photo: Canada Wood