Charcoal 2000

  1. In Japanese, charcoal is called "mokutan", or sometimes simply "sumi". Long ago, charcoal used to be the main source of fuel for household use, and was as important a necessity of life as rice. Domestic output in around 1955 was approximately 2 million tons. Output gradually dropped year by year, however, because of the switch to the use of gas and electricity as household fuels due to the energy revolution brought about by economic growth, and by 1985 annual output had fallen to some 32,000 tons, just 1.6% of what it was at its peak.

  2. Charcoal is the solid residue from the pyrolysis of wood matter. The best materials for making charcoal are considered to be oaks such as nara, kunugi and kashi. Japanese charcoal is of two kinds?black charcoal and white charcoal?which are made by different methods of burning. The two types are produced in basically the same manner, though the quality of the charcoal differs totally depending on how the fire is finally extinguished. Black charcoal is jet black in color and easy to ignite, but does not burn for long. Kunugi and nara are chiefly used for this. The charcoal used for barbecues (e.g. for camping by the seaside or in the mountains or for cherry blossom viewing) and the tea ceremony is also black charcoal. White charcoal on the other hand, which is covered in whitish ash, is more difficult to ignite but lasts longer. The high-quality bincho charcoal made of ubame-gashi (ilex) used as a heat source for grilling eel, yakitori, yakiniku and coffee is a typical example of white charcoal.

  3. In addition to these uses as a fuel, charcoal is used in a variety of other ways. These include industrial use (e.g. as a material for making activated carbon) and agricultural use (e.g. in soil improvement and as a livestock feed additive), and use in combating pollution (e.g. for air purification, sewage processing and deodorants).

  4. The main prefectures where charcoal is produced in Japan are Iwate (which accounts for around a quarter of national output), Hokkaido, Fukushima and Wakayama. Bincho charcoal made in Wakayama Prefecture is said to be the king of charcoals. The top spitchcock eateries and exclusive restaurants in major cities have signs up saying they use bincho coal from Kishu, which is the old name for the Wakayama region.

  5. Due to factors such as the aging of charcoal producers, the shortage of successors and the difficulty of procuring the right wood for making charcoal in these regions, however, imports have increased. Over 60% of the 160,000-170,000 tons annual domestic demand for charcoal is now imported.

  6. Trends in imports since 1990 have been as follows:

    Year Tons Million Yen
    1990 75,955 (94.5) 2,863 (98.4)
    1991 77,280 (101.7) 2,810 (98.2)
    1992 88,205 (114.1) 3,643 (129.6)
    1993 93,582 (106.1) 3,891 (106.8)
    1994 90,878 (97.1) 3,917 (100.6)
    1995 92,364 (101.6) 4,035 (103.0)
    1996 98,998 (107.2) 5,246 (130.0)
    1997 105,249 (106.3) 6,915 (131.8)
    1998 103,443 (98.3) 6,966 (100.7)
    Figures in brackets indicate percentage change on previous year.

  7. The main sources of imports in the past have been countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Malaysia and Singapore. The top sources in 1998 were as follows:

    1. China 3,392,677 (48.7%)
    2. Indonesia 1,224,222 (17.6%)
    3. Philippines 1,029,970 (14.8%)
    4. Malaysia 824,586 (11.8%)
    5. United States 171,955 (2.5%)
    6. Singapore 138,625 (2.0%)
    7. Others 183,900 (2.6%)
    (Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam)
    Total: 6,965,935 (100.0%) (record amount)
    Unit: \1000. Figures in brackets indicate percentage share.

  8. A breakdown reveals that coconut shell charcoal made up 35.3% (36,505 tons) of the total in terms of volume, and 20.2% (\1.48201 billion) in terms of value. Other kinds of charcoal made up the remaining 66,938 tons (64.7%) and \5.557734 billion (79.8%). In terms of value, 92.6% of coconut shell charcoal comes from the Philippines (73.0%) and Indonesia (19.6%). With regard to other kinds of charcoal, 91.6% comes from China (61%), Indonesia (17.1%) and Malaysia (13.5%).

  9. Of the charcoal consumed in 1998, 26,871 tons (21%) was produced domestically and 103,443 tons (79%) imported. (There were only 6,831 Japanese persons who are in charge of making charcoal in 1998.)

  10. Japan exported only 110 tons of charcoal worth \7.97 million in 1998, most probably as fuel for barbecues, to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Taiwan and the United States.

  11. Of imports, coconut shell charcoal is mainly used as a raw material for making activated carbon. Other kinds of imported charcoal are used mainly for outdoor leisure pursuits (e.g. barbecues) and as fuel to meet the increase in demand created by the growth of the food service industry. The cheap charcoal sold at DIY stores is mainly made from woods such as mangrove.

  12. Charcoal has traditionally been distributed from makers to retailers via wholesalers. Sales routes were tightly defended and closely knit, making it difficult for newcomers to enter the market. New dealers had to seek out end users one by one to develop a market. Makers' output has dropped precipitously, however, forcing them to rely on imports to meet demand, and so some makers too now handle imports.

  13. Japanese makers have expanded hardly at all overseas, and imports are largely handled by discount stores and DIY stores.

  14. Imports of charcoal into Japan are subject to no import duty. Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur as a result of incomplete combustion, etc., and so makers and importers all take out product liability insurance.

  15. Some Japanese companies use sawdust compacted by machine in Indonesia to make bincho charcoal. Recycling sawdust (a form of industrial waste) contributes to environmental preservation, and such products were once introduced on Indonesian TV as being environmentally friendly by the former President Suharto. This type of charcoal has already been awarded the eco-mark in Japan, and is used as good quality charcoal at exclusive restaurants, and yakiniku and yakitori eateries. Because of the very high cost of the machinery required to compact the sawdust, it is not easy for everyone to enter this field of business.

  16. Because of the rise in use of charcoal for non-fuel uses as well as the use of bincho charcoal for commercial use and charcoal for leisure use, domestic charcoal demand is expected to continue to rise. Domestic production is likely to fall for the reasons outlined above, viz. the aging of producers, shortage of successors and difficulty of acquiring the wood to make charcoal. Although dependent on factors such as domestic business conditions and the exchange rate, imports look as if they will steadily increase due to growth in demand resulting from the increasing popularity of outdoor leisure pursuits and the growth of the food service industry.

  17. New non-fuel uses of charcoal include:

    1. Putting three or four pieces of charcoal in a washing machine to remove solvent stains from textiles without using detergent.
    2. Applying a charcoal face pack to remove liver spots, freckles and wrinkles and to whiten the skin.
    3. Spreading charcoal under the floor to protect buildings and keep away termites and cockroaches, etc.
    4. Sleeping on a bed made from 200-300kg of charcoal. (This gives off negative ions, allowing one to sleep more soundly and reducing the amount of sleep required.)
    5. Drinking good quality water and charcoal powder every morning to improve one's bowel movements.
    6. Bathing in a bath with pieces of charcoal floating in it to alleviate stress.
    7. Drinking in the pyroligneous acid contained in charcoal smoke to improve the functioning of the liver. (This is because toxins in the environment do not enter the body.)
    8. Placing charcoal by electronic appliances such as computers, TVs and microwave ovens to prevent harm from electromagnetic radiation.
    9. Using charcoal pillows to ease insomnia and also stiff shoulders, lumbago, etc. (The reason is that the charcoal emits far-infrared rays which, in the case of the human body, penetrate every single capillary.)

    These are some of the many supposed effects of charcoal, though whether charcoal really provides such benefits remains for the individual to confirm for himself.

  18. Issues that may affect the charcoal market in the future include resource depletion and the introduction of environmental controls to protect forests in exporting countries. Although hopes of a sudden surge in imports are slim, imports look likely to grow further in importance.

    Source: Figures from Japan Trade Monthly.