TOKYO >> A ministerial meeting on hay fever held in May will result in a 20% reduction of pollen-producing cedar forests — currently 10.62 million acres, or 4.31 million hectares — in the coming decade. The Japanese government aims to halve the area in 30 years.

“The issue of hay fever is not something that can be solved overnight. It is necessary to steadily implement necessary measures with an eye to the future,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at the meeting chaired by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

The efforts will tackle the seasonal scourge of hay fever on three fronts.

>> The first addresses the source of pollen. The area of man-made forests where cedars are felled will be expanded from the current 50,000 hectares per year to about 70,000 hectares by fiscal 2033.

The use of cedar for housing will be encouraged, and experts estimate the demand for cedar wood products will grow by 40% over the next 10 years.

Currently, seedlings of cedar species that produce less pollen account for about 50% of all cedar plant shipments, but this will be increased to at least 90% over the next decade.

>> Controlling the dispersal of pollen is another priority. The government is encouraging the development of an agent that will regulate the amount of pollen dispersed from trees. The goal is to put it to practical use in five years.

>> The third focus is medical: Production of allergy drugs will be quadrupled within five years.

The measures were slated to be incorporated into the Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform, which was expected to be adopted by the Cabinet in June.