FEATURE: Hokkaido city grows hemp to promote economic development+

KITAMI, Japan, Feb. 16 Kyodo - 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.
==Kyodo
2009-02-16 22:39:02