Every year in Japan, typhoons and low-pressure fronts usher in heavy rains. In October 2019, Typhoon Hagibis caused extensive damage in eastern Japan. In Marumori Town of Miyagi Prefecture alone, landslides occurred in 173 locations, leaving 12 people dead or missing. Why did the landslides occur one after another? An on-site investigation revealed that in some cases, the landslides were caused by "clearcutting," the complete removal of trees from large areas of forest. While the government is promoting a policy of subsidies to boost lumber productivity, experts on forest management and law have sounded the alarm, saying that large-scale logging is taking place on steep slopes and areas close to homes, triggering disasters.