In Japan 42%-48% (425,000-600,000) of all new housing construction is made from wood. The majority (>75%) are built using traditional post and beam construction. During the nineties, much of the cutting and notching of components has shifted from the construction site to what is called a precut factory. Structural and nonstructural components are manufactured and stored at the factory and taken to the construction site for assembly. This has resulted in a shift in material preference from large green timbers for posts and beams to dry, more stable, solid and engineered wood products. Results from surveying both builders and precutters indicate that the use of engineered wood products will continue to grow, capturing significant market share from solid wood structural members
