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Forestry is Shiiba's main industry. The impact of such on Shiiba's landscape is a great as is the impact of skyscapers is on Tokyo.
Trees though are much more beautiful and are much better for our world. Sugi, a Japanese Cedar is the primary crop. Sugi trees are usually harvested after they've reached a base diameter of about one foot.
Most of the forests in Japan are "artificial" Sugi Forests. Many of my friends in Shiiba are very allergic to Sugi pollen. During the spring, when the winds blow you can see large clouds of Sugi pollen blowing by. As a result you will also see a lot of people with runny noses, watery red eyes and bad skin rashes.
Sugi have rather shallow roots and are not well adapted for life in places like Shiiba. The soil is loose and the slopes are not forgiving. During typhoons, it is not uncommon for large stands of Sugi to blow over.
Cable rigs are used to bring the logs to the trucks. When it is time to harvest a crop, the trees are usually "clearcut." This type of work is very hard and very dangerous.
