Institut français de recherche sur le Japon à la Maison franco-japonaise (Umifre 19, MEAE-CNRS)

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In Japan, the number of akiya (vacant housing) is increasing. This trend is especially pronounced in rural areas due to factors such as population decline and population concentration in urban areas. Many of Japan's akiya are demolished and the materials incinerated. This contributes to  a loss of historically and culturally valuable building materials while also increasing CO2 emissions. So what can be done to tackle these issues?
This presentation will focus on the business environment and challenges surrounding Japan's wooden architecture. This will include a focus on kominka (traditional housing) and kozai ( wooden materials) businesses in both Japan and overseas. I will introduce the activities of Kameoka Construction, where we are engaged in re-evaluating and reusing traditional building materials. We integrate these materials with modern residential architecture and interiors to create new high quality living spaces with a strong consideration for industrial sustainability.

Masaya Sugita is an advisor for global business at Kameoka Construction, Fukushima, Japan.
After earning a PhD in engineering in the field of rural planning at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Dr. Sugita worked as an international development consultant for Yachiyo Engineering. In 2017, he founded MSC Partners, which supports the overseas expansion of Japanese construction and manufacturing industries. He has been involved in Kameoka Construction as an external expert since 2020. Since 2022, he has served as an internal advisor for global business, supporting business partnerships with foreign design offices and the expansion of kominka and kozai businesses to global markets including France and Taiwan.

Moderator: Delphine VOMSCHEID (FRIJ-MFJ)
Organization: FRIJ-MFJ
Co-organization: CCI France Japon