International Symposium on Wood Science and Technology (ISWST) 2025, organized by the Japan Wood Research Society, was held on March 17th–19th, 2025, in Sendai, Japan. The IAWA Special Session was held on March 18th, 2025, during this symposium. Five researchers and students presented their results in this special session. Ms. Anna Kajiya, Chiba University, presented “The effect of climatic factors of provenance on clonal variation of radius, basic density, and microfibril angle in Picea glehnii plus-trees”.“Evaluation of growth and wood traits of the third generation Acacia mangium half-sib families in Indonesia”was presented by Mr. Masendra, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and Utsunomiya University. The third speaker, Ms. Marya Tiara Hapsari from University of Tsukuba, presented “Intra and inter-specific variation in wood density of planted red meranti”. Ms. Jennifer Conda, Forest Products Research and Development Institute, Philippines, presented "Wood anatomy: a conventional yet scientific approach for the restoration of national shrines and interpretation of part-human activities". The final speaker, Dr. Izumi Arakawa, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, presented "Fluorescence spectral analysis during heartwood formation in Robinia pseudoacacia”.


The IAWA Special Session at ISWST 2025 was a great opportunity for young researchers and students to share their insights on wood science. It sparked meaningful discussions and potential collaborations. Huge thanks to all presenters and attendees—we look forward to seeing more exciting advancements in the field.