Japan to tackle hay fever by felling cedar forests near major cities

Japan on Wednesday compiled a policy package to tackle hay fever caused by pollen from cedar and cypress trees, with plans to accelerate their reduction and replace them with varieties that produce less pollen.The government is expected to initially focus on areas ringing major cities, such as Tokyo and Osaka, and cut down 70,000 hectares of forest annually over the next 10 years, higher than the current removal rate of 50,000 hectares annually.The package also includes initiatives to introduce machines that can fell trees more efficiently, improve cedar timber distribution facilities and c…READ FULL ARTICLE