Canfor has been proudly supplying top quality building products to valued customers in Japan for more than three decades. Over the years, our business relationships have evolved into friendships - in Japan and around the world.  We have customers, employees and friends across Japan, many of whom were impacted by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.  We’re doing what we can to help. 

In July 2011, I first visited the devastated Sendai region with Tokuyo Homes, and toured the wood frame emergency housing they have constructed in the area. I was astounded by the scale of the damage – it is hard to put it into words. The devastation went from the coast to 5 or 6 km inland and the 50’ to 60’ waves completely destroyed factories and so many homes.  We saw home after home that had been completely wiped off their foundations; homes that had the top floor still intact but the bottom floor gone. I saw an entire 10 story apartment building, lifted off its foundation and lying on its side.  I’ve included a picture here of this building that I took with my Blackberry. Driving around the area, there were boats, freighters on streets and sidewalks, concrete telephone poles lying sideways everywhere.

As I spoke with customers and friends across Japan, I heard some consistent themes.  Everywhere, people responded to an unprecedented disaster with strength and resilience and a unity that is uniquely Japanese.  For friends that speak Japanese, I think the best word for this form of shared courage is taikyuuryoku.

Japan will rebuild, and where it makes sense, support from friends in Canada will be appreciated.  I returned to Japan in November as part of BC Premier Christy Clark’s trade mission to Asia and India. There, I was pleased to stand alongside our federal and provincial government representatives and other forest company CEOs for the announcement of $4.5 million for reconstruction projects in the affected region. This is in addition to $1.5 million in funding already provided by the BC forest industry and provincial government to Red Cross humanitarian efforts in response to the disaster.

We’re pleased at Canfor to join with other companies, Canada Wood Japan and the BC and Canadian governments in this much-needed reconstruction work.  In future posts, I’ll report back on the progress of these and other initiatives in Japan and around the world.  If you are reading from Japan, onkei and our most sincere best wishes as you rebuild communities, homes and the local way of life.    

Ganbarou Nippon.