Dr. Toshiaki Owari earned his PhD in forest science at the University of Tokyo in 2000. He was Instructor of forest management and engineering at Hokkaido University between 1997–2006. During 2003–2004, he was at the University of Helsinki, Finland, to study forest products marketing and forest certification. He was Lecturer between 2006-2012 and has been Associate Professor since September 2012 at the University of Tokyo. He is also Assistant Director at the University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest and Deputy of IUFRO Research Group 5.10.00 (Forest products marketing and business management) and Working Party 1.01.09 (Ecology and silviculture of fir).