YOKOHAMA Forever Forest Project

Activities have spread over a period of eleven years since the start of the Project

YOKOHAMA Forever Forest Project that started from fiscal 2007 is a project for planting 500,000 seedlings at business locations in Japan and overseas by fiscal 2017 that mark Yokohama Rubber’s 100th anniversary, based on our Environmental GD100 slogan of “we will become a company having world-class strengths in technologies for protecting the environment”. Based on stance of potential natural vegetation, we plant the species native to that region. In addition, through tree planting we conduct green environmental regeneration activities that protect life in the regional environment and local communities through means such as raising the environmental awareness of participants, creating fire prevention programs and forests to preserve the environment, contributing to global warming prevention, maintaining biodiversity, and improving communication with the local community. The activities of this period of eleven years have spread significantly in aspects including ties between various people and contributions to the environment.

History of 500,000 trees and the fixed quantity of CO₂ absorption (Estimated based on measurements at the Hiratsuka Factory)

Ongoing support for disaster areas leveraging the know-how of the YOKOHAMA Forever Forest Project
“Green Tide Embankment” in Otsuchi-cho, Iwate Prefecture

We support the “Green Tide Embankment” Project that is part of the reconstruction plan concept set forth by Otsuchi-cho that focuses on creating a beautiful town with unique paths with a view of the sea that make you want to walk, and as part of these efforts we supported the creation of a forest that will serve as a model case. The “Green Tide Embankment” is an idea conceived by the plant ecologist Dr. Akira Miyawaki, who has provided guidance for the YOKOHAMA Forever Forest Project.
The Miyawaki method is a unique method for growing trees closely together in a state near to a natural forest by planting native species and raising many types of seedlings. On April 30, 2012, a mound (embankment) utilizing earthquake rubble was formed for a length of 50 m along the Kozuchi River that flows through Otsuchi-cho. Starting with the first tree planting event, a mound of approximately 250 meters long was forested by 2015. These activities have been carried on in a tree planting course in the “Furusato (Hometown) Course” of Otsuchi Gakuen that is operated by the town of Otsuchi. Debris from the Great East Japan Earthquake are buried inside of the mounds where these trees are planted. We believe these activities not only constitute the effective utilization of debris that are full of the memories of people who underwent a disaster, but that they will also help prevent disasters in the future.

China: Zhangyon Huan
Safety and Environmental Section Manager
Yokohama Industrial Products – Hangzhou Co., Ltd. (YIPHZ)

We have conducted tree planting activities every year since 2014. We also participate in regional tree planting activities when we have the opportunity and value our relationship with the local community. In March 2016, we also participated in tree planting activities held near the Qiantang River that flows through the city of Hangzhou, and donated seedlings that we had nurtured in our plant premises. These types of YOKOHAMA Forever Forest Project activities have been noticed by the local community and were introduced in an event as public welfare activities in November 2016. In March 2017, employees provided guidance on tree planting at a tree planting event held at an elementary school in the Xiasha District of the city of Hangzhou.

India: Pradeep Baswana
Joint Manager, EHS
Yokohama India Pvt. Ltd. (YIN)

At the first tree planting event conducted in February 2016, 24 species of 2,159 tree seedlings were planted in the plant premises, with the participation of personnel from Embassy of Japan, state government, representatives from other related companies and school children. The trees grew about 3 m tall after one year, as the tree planted area grew into green area many birds and insects started to come. In February 2017, 24 species of 1,740 tree seedlings were planted at the second tree planting event. Our employees take pride in their contributions as part of CSR activities and biodiversity conservation activities. We are planning tree planting in Kasar Village as our next CSR activity including village personnel.

Shinshiro: Masaru Naito
Meister, Shinshiro Plant

Currently, approximately 70,000 seedlings are growing at the Shinshiro Plant. Seedlings are contributed to nursery schools, kindergartens, elementary schools, social welfare corporations, and other organizations to assist with local reforestation. At the Shinshiro City Johoku Nursery School, as activities to protect the lives of trees when trees were felled at the local Tominaga Shrine accompanying the relocation of the school building, we supported the raising and planting of seedlings from acorns from the trees that were felled. In addition, we conducted tree planting activities together with the NPO Donguri Mongori, Parks and Green Spaces Division and Natural Environment Division in Aichi Prefecture, and local children.

Hiratsuka: Fumina Suzuki
Environmental Protection Promotion Department,
Hiratsuka Factory

We started bird watching from September 2008 in order to understand the effects of the YOKOHAMA Forever Forest Project on the ecosystem. We have held monthly bird watching events 106 times as of June 2017 while receiving guidance from the Komatan bird watching group, and we have observed 55 species of birds in the process. We have felt the connection between birds and the YOKOHAMA Forever Forest while keeping records that include the forest being used by migrating birds including the eastern crowned warbler and nests built of trees that were planted by birds such as the white-eye. We will continue bird watching in the future as well.

North America: Christian Yates
Senior Environmental Specialist,
Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia, LLC (YTMV)

We planted 2,300 seedlings during the first tree planting event in 2009. We have plans to complete the planting of a total of 13,000 trees in 2017. A YOKOHAMA Forever Forest that contributes to the habitat of living creatures has been formed at the plant, and the breeding of mammals such as deer and red fox and the eastern bluebird that is an endangered species has been observed at this forest. In addition, we are confident that the positive effects of this YOKOHAMA Forever Forest that include contributions to biodiversity, the absorption of CO2, and controlling surface water and soil erosion to assist penetration to groundwater will lead to trust from the community surrounding the plant.

Vietnam: Nguyen Thanh Duy Sinh (left) General Affairs Section Manager Huynh Thi Thu Ai (right) Environment Section Manager, Yokohama Tyre Vietnam Inc. (YTVI)

We have also planted a total of 2,235 trees in tree planting activities at eight elementary schools in the neighborhood outside of the plant. According to Principle Nguyen Anh Hong, “As the students are proud of the trees they have planted, and they bring along their friends and family to tell them which tree they planted, I think these activities are also good for raising their awareness of environmental protection.” It also makes us happy to see children play under the shadows of trees they have grown, and we take pride in the fact that we have also contributed to an improvement in the awareness of people in the local community towards climate change and the environment.

Thailand: Nittaya Suna Environment Supervisor, Safety and Environment Section, Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (YTMT)

We started tree planting activities in 2008 under the guidance of Dr. Shirin of the Thai Royal Household Bureau. We expect to achieve the planting of approximately 81,000 trees in 2017, which is 161% of the tree planting target of 50,000 trees. We have also conducted bird and insect monitoring surveys within the plant premises since 2013. Furthermore, from 2015 we started creating a biotope, and held information sharing events for stakeholders including local residents, local municipalities, and elementary schools.