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The Evolution of Forest Research Station Management at Ashiu Forest Research Station
Origins and Establishment

Since the end of the 19th century, Japanese universities began purchasing or renting forest territory for various research and economic purposes. The Ashiu Forest Research Station of Kyoto University represents one of the oldest of these university forests, established in 1921 when Kyoto Imperial University secured a 99-year land use right over 4,180.5 hectares of communal forest owned by local villages in the Kitakuwada District, under a profit-sharing model. Located in the northeastern border region of Kyoto Prefecture, the Ashiu research forest spans 6km east to west and 7km north to south, covering a total area of 4,186 hectares. The terrain features significant elevation changes ranging from 355 to 959 meters above sea level and encompasses the headwater zones of the Yura River, which flows into Wakasa Bay in the Sea of Japan.

Early Resource Exploitation Phase (1920s-1970s)

The early decades of university management reflected the economic priorities of the period, with forest resource extraction meant to provide economic support to the university, compensate the landowners, and provide charcoal for heating buildings in Kyoto. During this period, the university established infrastructure including a forest railway system to facilitate resource extraction.

Along the Yura River, the forest administration initiated shiitake mushroom production and charcoal manufacturing operations that continued until the late 1940s. The forest's abundant natural cedar resources became a target for timber harvesting, although conditions for harvest were challenging and forest degradation proceeded more swiftly than expected.

The post-war period saw a shift toward more systematic forest exploitation with the development of an extensive forest road network to access remote areas. Timber harvesting reached its peak in the 1960s, reflecting national priorities for wood production in Japan's economic growth period. The university engaged in active management, replacing harvested natural forest with cedar plantations in a controlled silvicultural approach.
The relationship with local communities during this period remained primarily transactional, centered on land use rights rather than collaborative management.

Transition to Conservation and Research (1970s-1990s)

By the 1970s, growing environmental awareness prompted a reassessment of forest management practices. The university began to shift away from intensive harvesting toward natural forest management techniques. This period marked a pivotal change in philosophy, with timber production becoming secondary to scientific research and education.

The completion of the main forest road network by the 1980s, spanning 34.2 kilometers, facilitated this transition by improving accessibility for researchers and students rather than primarily serving extraction purposes. Since the 1990s, the university has significantly restricted natural forest harvesting, limiting it to management, research, and educational requirements.

The custom-built railway delivery for timber and other forest products to/from Ashiu Experimental Forest. Undated, likely 1950s. (Research Resource Archive, Kyoto University Forests Collection,1928-1986)

A tree marked for research and preservation, alongside Prof. Hirokawa of Kyoto University. Undated, likely 1970s.

Ashiu Forest Research Station main building, 2025. (Photo by Hart N. Feuer)

Researchers from Kyoto University evaluating trees in Ashiu Experimental Forest in the snow. Undated, likely 1940s. (Research Resource Archive, Kyoto University Forests Collection,1928-1986)

Contemporary Conservation and Scientific Focus (2000s-Present)

The twenty-first century has witnessed a profound transformation in the Ashiu Forest's purpose. In 2003, the forest was reorganized as part of Kyoto University's Field Science Education and Research Center, integrating it into a network of field research facilities designed to study interconnections between forest and marine ecosystems.

This institutional change reflected a broader shift in academic priorities toward interdisciplinary environmental research. In 2016, the forest's ecological value gained national recognition when much of its territory was designated as part of the Kyoto Tamba Highlands National Park, with large sections classified as protected special zones.

When the initial 99-year lease ended in 2020, the university was forced to negotiate a new model of access and use, as the profit-sharing model had long become disadvantageous to local communities. A more consistent rent and support for eco-tourism now form the basis of the university’s relationship to the local community under a new 30-year land use agreement.

A Century of Transformation

Over its 100+ year history, the Ashiu Forest has undergone numerous shifts in purpose and management style, with a general trend toward increased emphasis on learning and conservation and reduced natural resource exploitation. This evolution parallels changes seen in other university forests across Asia, including the Taiwan Experimental Forest at Liugui (managed by Kyoto Imperial University from 1924-1945), where recognition of local knowledge, indigenous conservation practices, and recreational potential have gradually replaced extractive management approaches.

The Ashiu Forest today stands as a living record of changing attitudes toward forest resources in Japan's academic institutions—from economic asset to irreplaceable ecological laboratory and conservation site. Its management history demonstrates how university forests have evolved from primarily extractive functions to become crucial centers for understanding forest ecosystems and addressing contemporary environmental challenges

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