The Tokyo-based forestry organisations' platform, opened in February, had about 30 registered businesses by end-April, mainly buyers, and is designed to connect forest owners with purchasers nationwide.
It aims to improve price discovery in a market usually dominated by negotiated deals, where small owners and cooperatives often accept low offers from better-financed lumber companies.
The site also builds reforestation costs into transactions, with funds held by financial institutions until replanting, a feature expected to attract construction and housing firms seeking sustainably sourced timber.
As Japan plans to harvest 20% of its forests, can this new marketplace protect small owners from a price collapse?
Will tying reforestation funds to timber sales finally make sustainable forestry profitable for Japan's small landowners?