Historical Change and Corporate Locational Trends in the Timber-Handling District of Nagoya Port

Wood has been an essential material in many endeavors since humanity\u27s earliest days. Although Japan is rich in forest resources, substantial amounts of wood are imported from abroad due to increased timber demand in the modern age. As a result, the Port of Nagoya has become well-known as a site handling large volumes of imported wood. This increased volume of imported wood, in turn, created the need for more lumber yard fields within the port area. In 1959, high tidal waves caused by the Ise Bay Typhoon swept much wood away from the lumber yard field and caused a great deal of damage to the houses and lives of the neighborhood. Therefore, a new timber-handling district was established on the west side of the harbor, and most of the businesses relocated to this site. Unfortunately, decreased domestic timber demand due to the 1973 oil shock caused the Port\u27s wood-handling volume to decrease. Timber companies that purchased land in the industrial district began to file motions to withdraw from the land. Lumber yard field utilization dropped, and some areas of the lumber yard field became landfill. Shipping and logistics companies gradually took over many sites from which timber companies withdrew. As a result, the nature of wood industrial park has significantly changed. The erosion of the timber-handling district, which had expanded while developing in tandem with the Nagoya, seems to strike an end to the historic role. The Port\u27s management association has thus accepted the need to consider these changes in the industrial structure of Nagoya region, and began to restructure the timber-handling district to suit the needs of the next generation