Japanese city turns to hemp to promote economic development

Despite the bad impression many have of hemp due to a perceived rise in marijuana use, Hidetaro Funayama believes that growing the plant for its many industrial uses could create a buzz for the city of Kitami on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk in northeastern Hokkaido.

The plant is grown on a plot of land on a hill slightly out of the center of the city with a population of some 126,000. A 2.7-meter-tall fence covers it with a grating.

Funayama, 58, represents a group dealing with a city development project aimed at growing hemp without a narcotic component for production of construction materials and Japanese ‘‘washi’’ paper.

He has been working on the cultivation of hemp since 2006 after visiting Germany, a nation considered to be advanced in hemp processing for industrial use, in 2003. He learned that Germans made heavy use of the plant as eco-friendly material and interior finishing material for deluxe automobiles.

Kitami’s periphery is known as a natural growth area for hemp.

Funayama said hemp keeps growing no matter how many times local officials try to get rid of it. In summer, plants as high as 4 meters pack the land used for cultivation.

The Hokkaido prefectural government recognized the land as a special place for the growth of hemp for industrial use last August in response to an application filed by the Kitami municipality.

A prefectural government official, however, said, ‘‘It is difficult for the prefectural administration to join people in Kitami in research on growing hemp when the use of marijuana is spreading across the country and its criminality is underscored.’’

The import of cannabis plant species is prohibited by the government unless they are treated to keep them from developing into marijuana.

The Tochigi prefectural government in eastern Japan has developed its own variety called ‘‘Tochigi shiro’’ for the cultivation of hemp to produce ropes for use in Shinto rituals, among other uses.

Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry officials said there would be no trouble if Hokkaido comes up with its own narcotic-free species.

Funayama and his group obtained about 1 kilogram of seeds from a researcher in Tokyo after gaining permission from the Hokkaido prefectural governor in 2005.

His ultimate goal is to grow hemp on land measuring about 1,000 hectares and turn out products at his own plant. He anticipates an annual turnover of 1 billion yen.

He has thus far learned that hemp could be utilized for the manufacture of heat-insulating materials, Japanese ‘‘washi’’ paper, compact disc cases and cooking oil.

The cultivation of the plant may have the effect of improving soil, proponents of the hemp production campaign say.

The prefectural agricultural experiment center in Kitami is researching the possibility of utilizing hemp for purification of nitrogen because the plant grows fast and its roots go deep beneath the surface.

Those involved in growing hemp face many problems, including measures to prevent thefts of the plant under cultivation and an inspection system to verify the plant does not contain narcotic-producing components.

Funayama said there are high expectations for hemp to play the role of promoting the local region and take the place of public works projects which have gone up in smoke in recent years due to the central government’s belt-tightening measures.

‘‘I want to challenge the bad impression of hemp production despite the narcotic scandals,’’ he said.
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