Fermentation of forest residue over from forests to beautify both people and nature, a Circular Economy activity that pleases everyone.

Video

Description

Developing women-only hot-spring bath salons in urban areas using only naturally fermented heat from the Hinoki cypress trees grown in Yoshino, Nara Prefecture. The company has acquired and rehabilitated a sawmill in the area, and utilizes forest residue as materials. By making their customers healthy, they are also making the forests and the local community healthy.

Story

The company operates "Fermented Bath Nifu" a hot bath salon that uses fermentation heat from hinoki cypress trees without using electricity or gas, mainly in Tokyo. We support the beauty and health of women living in the city. In the course of operating the fermentation hot bath business, we learned of the many problems faced by the Hilly, Mountainous Areas where the materials originate. Various forest management issues caused by discarded thinnings and forest residues left in the forest.The decline of the forestry industry is caused by a shortage of labor and changing market needs due to the declining birthrate and aging population, and this is a serious social issue that can lead to a crisis in the survival of the community. To address this social issue, we acquired and rehabilitated a closed sawmill in Yoshino Town, Nara Prefecture. In collaboration with a local forestry enterprise, we removed the forest residue from the mountain and processed it in our own unique way, making it possible to use it as a fermentation and hot bath material. In addition, we have created a business model to purchase hinoki cypress branches and leaves that would otherwise be left in the forest at a price higher than the purchase price of raw wood from biomass power plants. As urban women use this service for their own beauty and health, the forest environment also becomes more beautiful and healthy, which in turn leads to the revitalization of the Hilly, Mountainous Areas.

Link

• https://nifu.jp/

Images

Judge’s Comments

Nami Urano

Marketing Leader at FabCafe Kyoto, SPCS Community Manager

Nature Positve Prize

This project not only solves problems, but also creates unique experiences while generating economic cycles that connect mountains and cities. In order to create activities like this project, which goes beyond solving problems, it is necessary to create new culture. Although it is very difficult to reach this level, this project has actually achieved it and created a new market. It would be wonderful if such cycles were created in various mountains and nearby cities.