The Suntory Natural Water Sanctuary Project involves the company cultivating large forests capable of creating groundwater in water resource cultivation areas for our plants around the country.
In order to create more groundwater than the volume used by our plants, we are seeking to expand the total area for water resource cultivation to 7,000 hectares by the end of 2011.
An ideal forest for creating ample groundwater is one that has "good quality soil" that can store water adequately.
However, this "good quality soil" disappears rapidly when forests are damaged.
The capacity that a forest inherently has to store water and draw it deeply underground (its capacity for water resource cultivation) also fades quickly when the soil is washed away after a big rainstorm. Creating forests that are rich in biodiversity is indispensable if this essential soil is to be protected and cultivated well.

Cultivating the ideal soil must make use of the power of trees, grass, animals, and microbes. We lend a hand to these "natural powers of a forest" and guide them in ways that lead to the creation of good soil. For example, some forests have too many conifers, making it difficult for light to penetrate. If vegetation does not grow on the forest floor, rain does not get stored in the soil and instead washes away the top soil. Also, the number of forests in which plants have been spoiled by deer and insect pests and which are unable to return on their own to their original state has been increasing in recent years. We help to maintain these forests, turning them back into healthy forests that have a great capacity to store water.
A healthy forest is one inhabited by a good balance of various trees, plants, and living things and which has abundant biodiversity. Rich soil is created when a variety of seeds that have been naturally cultivated get mixed together, resulting in a strong forest that will recover naturally even from the depredations of insect pests.

A Suntory Natural Water Sanctuary Project begins with a thorough survey of the area around one of our plants. To create a forest that will generate more groundwater than our plant uses, we first need to designate the area for water resource cultivation, consider the water resource cultivation capacity of that land and the volume of water used in our plants, and then settle on the area to be cultivated.
The surveys are handled by the Suntory Institute for Water Science. The institute looks at data on the constituent parts of the water found in the area, its geographical and geological features as well as geological formation, and the plants and wells in the vicinity. It also makes inferences about where the water comes from, what sort of geological formations it passes through, how much time it takes, and how it flows. Based on the survey results, it identifies where the water resource cultivation area for the plant should be.
After the cultivation area has been determined, we next consult with national and local governments as well as local residents about the area, move through the forest surveying the river water available, and move forward on detailed surveys. In addition, we conclude a Natural Water Sanctuary agreement and begin to help with maintaining the area.

Once the location and size of the forest have been determined, we formulate the maintenance plan for the way forward. Surveys are also indispensable for this undertaking. We survey the forest environment with the help of specialists in various fields. We then make a comprehensive judgement based on what sort of soil covers the area, what type of plants grow there, and what kinds of living things are present, and create a plan that focuses 10, 50, and 100 years into the future.
Forests are faced with a variety of problems that differ from one forest to another. We divide the forest up into numerous test areas based on the problems identified and conduct studies to compare various management methods. These are not implemented all at once. Rather, while determining the test results, we take the time to ascertain which method is ideal. Many months and years are needed to nurture a healthy forest.
For that very reason, we create forestry maintenance plans for the Suntory Natural Water Sanctuaries that run for long periods of time, on the order of decades.

The target of 7,000 hectares for water resource cultivation is only the first step in a project that will continue for decades and even centuries.
Our work is continuing with one ear bent to hear the voices of the earth and its flora and fauna so that we may achieve the ideal symbiotic relationship with nature.

In April 2011, we convened a Water Sciences Forum on the topic of "Undertaking Scientific Research at Natural Water Sanctuaries."

We make public via our website and publications all of the research results that we and specialists have obtained in our explorations together. It is our hope that the findings will be actively used by people around the country including volunteer groups, corporations, and government authorities who are focused on water resource cultivation forests and environmental forests.
We also hope that not only the Suntory Natural Water Sanctuaries but all of the forests in an area will be revived, with everyone involved in forestry putting into practice the new techniques developed at the Natural Water Sanctuaries in efforts to revitalize the region.
With our projects as starting points, it is our hope that the forests of Japan will be reborn as healthy and rich forests that will last for hundreds and thousands of years to come. We are continuing to expand these projects even further in the future as a company that is "Bringing Water to Life."