The World Wood Day 2025 celebrations were held onsite for the first time after the pandemic. A variety of exciting events took place in different cities all around Japan, including a symposium in Sendai, a special concert in Kawasaki, an international furniture making project for young adults in Gyoda, a wood culture music stage at Expo 2025 Osaka, and more. Celebrations in Japan and other countries worldwide will go on until November 2025.

World Wood Day, celebrated on the same day as the International Day of Forests (21 March), is a cultural event aimed at raising awareness of the importance and value of wood and its responsible uses. The WWD 2025 event was organized by the International Wood Culture Society (IWCS), Japan Wood Culture Society (JWCS) and World Wood Day Foundation (WWDF), co-organized by the Japan Wood Research Society (JWRS) and Kumamoto University.

The 2025 World Wood Day Symposium and the Seventh IUFRO Forest Products Culture Colloquium were jointly held with the International Symposium on Wood Science and Technology (ISWST) organized by the Japan Wood Research Society (JWRS) and IAWA. Twenty-three oral and poster presenters from fifteen countries explored the theme of Eco-Living with Wood with a wide range of research fields related to wood and non-wood forest products.

Approximately 417 participants from 24 countries and regions attended the ISWST 2025. John Parrotta, the Immediate Past President of IUFRO, was invited as a keynote speaker to introduce IUFRO and the World Wood Day. Topics of ISWST also included biorefinery and bioeconomy, wood in health and wellness, wood chemistry, wood physics, composite materials and adhesion, timber engineering, cell formation and wood structures, and biodegradation and preservation of wood. Participants were also thrilled by a special event for an immersive experience, created and conducted by Priya Parrotta.

Future World Wood Day events will strive to involve more IUFRO Divisions and members to reflect the spirit of IUFRO, which interconnects forests, science and people.