Timber yard

A timber dumping site fully equipped with storage facilities. Timber dumping sites are known in the timber industry as doba. There are two types of timber yards: underwater timber yards and land timber yards. Underwater timber yards have a long history, and were established in conjunction with timber wholesale districts that were formed around the mouths of rivers during the Edo period. Even after the Meiji period, underwater timber yards continued to exist as major timber yards, as they served to prevent damage from insects, bacteria, and drying. On the other hand, many land timber yards were established during the period of high economic growth, when land transport was replaced by land transport for timber transportation. During this period of high economic growth, road transportation networks were developed on a national scale, and it became profitable to transport timber, which has a low unit price per weight, by land. At the same time, timber yards also switched from underwater timber yards to land timber yards.

Typical examples of land-based lumber yards include lumber markets and sawmill yards. The size of lumber markets' lumber yards is determined based on the amount of logs that will be brought in on market days, which are held two to four times a month. According to a survey conducted by the National Federation of Forestry Associations in 2007 (Heisei 19), 75% of lumber markets' lumber yards are over one hectare in size.

In contrast, sawmill yards are small in size because they are set up as inventory storage areas for logs for lumber. These sawmill yards are on the trend of being scaled down or abolished. Sawmills need to store about two to three months' worth of lumber, but in the midst of fierce competition with imported lumber, they are forced to reduce the burden of inventory costs, and many sawmills are not only reducing their inventory but also converting their yards to other uses. As an alternative, sawmills are increasingly willing to use yards at log markets and other locations for inventory storage. Many of the yards at log markets are paved with concrete and are well equipped with machines for loading and unloading, and function as convenient lumber storage areas. Until now, log markets have provided free storage of lumber (about seven days) at the yards after the market closes as a service to buyers (lumber companies, lumber wholesalers, etc.), but there are also cases where lumber storage is charged and storage fees are collected based on the number of days at the request of sawmills.

[Yamagishi Kiyotaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

保管施設等を完備した木材集積場。木材集積場は業界内では土場(どば)とよばれる。貯木場には、水中貯木場と陸上貯木場の2種類がある。水中貯木場の歴史は古く、江戸時代に河川の河口周辺に材木問屋街が形成されるが、その問屋街に付随して開設された。明治以降も水中貯木場は、虫害、菌害、乾燥防止などの機能をもつことから主要な貯木場として存在してきた。他方、陸上貯木場は、木材運搬が陸送にかわる高度経済成長時代になってから多く開設された。高度経済成長期には列島スケールでの道路交通網の整備が行われ、重量単価の安価な木材も陸送での採算もとれるようになる。それとともに貯木場も水中貯木場から陸上貯木場へ切り替わった。

　この陸上貯木場は、原木市売(いちうり)市場の土場や製材工場の土場などが代表的なものである。原木市売市場の土場は、月に2回から4回開催される市日(いちび)に搬入される原木量を想定して規模が決められている。全国森林組合連合会が2007年（平成19）に行った調査（集出荷販売施設の運営に関する経営管理指導マニュアル）によると、原木市売市場の土場の75％が1ヘクタール以上の規模となっている。

　これに対し、製材工場の土場は、製材用原木の在庫保管場として設けられているため規模が小さい。この製材工場の土場は、縮小ないし廃止される傾向にある。製材工場は、2か月から3か月分程度の木材在庫を必要とされているが、外材との厳しい競合のなかで在庫費の負担を軽減する必要に迫られ、在庫を減らすだけでなく土場を他用途に転用する製材工場が多くなっている。製材工場は、その代用として、原木市売市場などの土場を在庫保管として活用したいとする意向を強めている。原木市売市場の土場の多くは、コンクリート舗装され、積み込み、搬出用の機械などの装備も充実しており、利便性ある貯木場の機能を有している。これまで原木市売市場は、買方（製材業者、木材問屋等）サービスとして市終了後の土場での木材保管（7日程度）を無料で行ってきたが、木材保管を有料化し、製材工場の要望に応じて日数計算で保管料を徴収するケースも生まれている。

［山岸清隆］

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