Financial crisis of the Tomakomai canopy crane in Japan: Your support letter is wanted!

[Akihiro Nakamura]

Dear all canopy science members,

I would like to share the information from Masahiro Nakamura, the PI of the Tomakomai canopy crane. Masahiro and his team are now obtaining some financial assistance to rebuild the canopy crane in Hokkaido (where the 2027  International Canopy Conference will be held), but the funding agency (I am not sure if I can disclose this information at the moment) requires some justification as to why such a big amount of money is required to rebuild the aging crane used by us. 

We need your support in writing to address the significance of the canopy crane for research and conservation. If possible, could you please use the information below to write the letter (perhaps on your institute's letterhead)?  The addressee is Hokkaido University, Kita Ward, Sapporo 060--0808, Japan.

Thank you for your support in advance!!

The Tomakomai canopy crane, installed in 1997 in the Tomakomai Research Forest, reaches a height of 25 meters above the ground with an effective jib length of 40 meters, which covers 0.5 ha of the canopy surface. The crane is uniquely located in a mature cool-temperate forest dominated by Quercus crispula trees. This canopy crane has made it possible to directly observe the forest canopy, where photosynthetic activity is active and is a treasure trove of biodiversity. The total number of research articles based on the data from this canopy crane is 36, and we envisage an increasing number of publications in the near future as a result of recent international collaborative projects.

However, inspections by the Crane Association and the construction company prior to the start of use in April 2023 revealed the following issues:

1. There is severe rust at the base of the mast.

2. There are also rusted sections on the jib.

These issues related to the aging crane became apparent and required major renovation or rebuilding. However, this requires a substantial amount of money (approx. 200 million yen = 1.3 million USD), making it difficult to implement. For this reason, gondola rides are currently prohibited to ensure safety.