Takahara Forest Cooperative was established on April 1, 1997, by the merger of four cooperatives from Yaita City, Shioya Town, Shiobara Town and Kitsuregawa Town, and added Ujiie Town and Takanezawa Town to its operational area. The Takahara forestry area comprises many postwar plantations and, although relatively young, is located on the northern edge of the Kanto Plain with gentle terrain and proximity to the Tokyo metropolitan timber market; many large sawmills are present, providing favorable conditions for forestry. Utilizing this geographical advantage, the cooperative focuses on clearcutting operations as part of its forest management and raw material production. In April 1999 Takahara opened a "Forest Station" in the Shiobara area of Nasushiobara City, a facility that includes a retail outlet for members' forest products and a restaurant, as part of diversification to strengthen its business base and expand demand and public outreach for forest products.