The Story of Miyawaki Forests & Its Foothold in India

The story of Miyawaki forests starts in the late 1950s with a young graduate student Akira Miyawaki who learned about the emerging concept of potential natural vegetation (PNV) and along with his focus study on the way of plant species interact with each other (Phytosociology) led him to explore the vegetation growing in Japan.

Soon he started visiting Shinto shrines and noticed the Chinju no Mori or the sacred shrine forest and came to the conclusion that these were basically time capsules that showed how indigenous forests were layered together from the four categories of native plantings.

What is the Miyawaki Method?

This is how it works: Finding a space that is at least three to four meters wide and receives plenty of sunlight, preferably eight hours or more, is the first step. The soil is then prepared so that it has the necessary nutrients for growth. Usually, perforators like a wheat husk or maize husk are utilized, along with cocopeat, which aids in soil moisture retention, to allow water to infiltrate into the soil. The soil can also be fertilized with manure or organic fertilizers. To build a biodiverse forest habitat, the next stage is to select different kinds and native species of plant seedlings, such as neem, Jamun, or tamarind. Plants of different species should ideally be planted together to prevent the planting of duplicate saplings.

The saplings should also be planted in multiple layers, with the first layer being a shrub (up to six feet tall), the second a sub-tree (up to 12 feet tall), the third a tree (up to 25 feet tall), and the fourth a canopy layer (up to 40 feet). Bamboo sticks should be connected to the saplings so they stay upright and they should be planted with about a 60-centimeter space between them. After planting is complete, remember to water the patch every day.

Through this method, Miyawaki has planted over 40 million trees throughout 15 nations, most notably his own. Critics have charged him with promoting businesses like Toyota, which have helped to clear forests in countries like India, and with building costly and monotonous-looking forested areas.

However, despite being 91 years old, he is still planting trees; 90 million of them will soon be planted along Japan's shore as a defense against potential catastrophic tsunami damage. And followers like Shubhendu Sharma have appeared to continue where he would ultimately end.

Miyawaki Forests in India:

In contrast to naturally-grown forests, which may take more than 100 years to grow, the Miyawaki Method is perfect for growing forests in a shorter period of time of roughly 20 to 30 years, including tiny green patches that grow in two years. After two to three years of planting, these forests require very little maintenance and don't take up a lot of room. They are also reported to be 30 times denser and to develop 10 times more quickly. All of these factors contribute to the method's growing popularity among many people and organizations.

While many Bengaluru trees are scheduled for removal to make way for various infrastructure projects, a group of people has transformed a damaged forest section outside of the city into a sizable man-made forest. On Toyota's industrial property in Bidadi, the first Miyawaki forest ever was developed in 2010.