Custom-Built Detached Housing Business

Wooden houses are the essence of Japanese architecture, as characterized by Hôryû-ji temple in Nara, one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world. Wooden houses made of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtuse) and other Japanese timber are easy to live in and well suited to Japanese climates.

Sumitomo Forestry Home Houses: the Top Brand in Four Clients' Real Estate. Traditional Japanese Custom-built Detached Wooden Houses

Wood textures help create a composed façade

A wooden interior delivers a comfortable living environment

The top brand in Japanese custom-built detached wooden houses, Sumitomo Forestry Home houses have inherited the knowledge and wisdom behind traditional Japanese home building.

A good example is the natural heating and cooling system known as Ryouonbou in Japanese, a design concept which utilizes natural wind and light. This approach cools the interior in the summer and heats it in the winter, making for a comfortable home year round.

Also, the freedom in design that only wood construction can offer allows occupants to individually fashion their home to fit their lifestyle.

Furthermore, Sumitomo Forestry is very proactive in its use of Japanese timber to protect Japanese forests and control CO2 emissions associated with timber procurement. We currently use Japanese timber for 70% of principal structural members and will start introducing it for interior materials in the future.

The Ryouonbou design concept

Choosing Wooden Houses to Live in Harmony with the Environment

As interest in environmentally sound houses increases, wooden houses are again drawing attention. Trees are a renewable natural resource that can be effectively used through a cycle of planned forestation and logging. Trees also absorb CO2 and sequester carbon over the process of growing. Timber helps prevent global warming as it retains carbon even after being used in housing. In other words, building wooden houses is like creating a forest in the middle of town.

In this sense, wooden houses are not just about making those living in them happy, but also about helping us live in harmony with the environment. Sumitomo Forestry will continue to pursue the potential of wooden housing as Japan's foremost wooden housing builder.

Pursuing Higher Housing Performance and a Support System for Long-term Occupancy

Super Cypress is laminated engineered wood for structural use made from Japanese cypress cut to extremely accurate dimensions. It is 20% stronger than regular solid wood materials.

Our Kizure Panels are original loadbearing wall panels made of either Japanese cedar or Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) wood. They offer at least double the durability stipulated by the Building Standards Act.

From the standpoint of efficient use of resources and eliminating waste, the existing 20 to 30 year cycle of rebuilding homes is too short. Japanese are starting to think that they should be building longer-lasting homes with social value as is common in Western nations. The Japanese government also put the Excellent Long-Term Housing Promotion Act into effect in 2009. The standard specifications for Sumitomo Forestry Home houses fulfill all earthquake resistance, durability, maintenance, and energy efficiency requirements for certification as excellent long-term housing under this law.

Sumitomo Forestry has also put a system in place to support our customers for 60 years from time of construction completion for all Sumitomo Forestry Home houses. In addition to providing regular inspections, maintenance and remodeling and renovation proposals for our homes, we also have customer support centers that accept calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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