This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association.
Sumitomo Forestry will introduce the Mazex Karusuke series to forestry operators through its own network. The Karusuke 25 matches the payload of the earlier Morito 25 at a lower price and in a smaller airframe.
Sumitomo Forestry and industrial drone maker Mazex announced on July 17, 2026 that they will accelerate adoption of forestry cargo drones in Japan to advance smart forestry. Under the arrangement, Tokyo-based Sumitomo Forestry will introduce the Mazex Karusuke series of cargo drones to forestry businesses through its network. Mazex, headquartered in Higashiosaka, Osaka, will provide product briefings and support for deployment and operations. Sumitomo Forestry will also share knowledge from its own forest management and feedback from users, and Mazex will build those requirements into future development.
From Morito to Karusuke
Karusuke builds on the technology and field experience behind Morito, which the two companies co-developed as Japan’s first cargo drone for forestry. To develop Morito, Sumitomo Forestry ran trials on steep slopes in its company-owned forests in Shikoku that moved a total of 40,000 seedlings. Mazex then used those results to design a drone that carries supplies reliably in mountainous terrain with harsh weather and topography. After launching in February 2020, Morito held the top domestic share of annual forestry drone unit sales for two consecutive years, according to the companies.
By comparison, Karusuke targets a lower price and easier handling in the field. The Karusuke 25 keeps the payload capacity of the current Morito 25 while cutting the price from ¥2.63 million (about $17,500) to ¥1.9 million (about $12,700), excluding tax. Its airframe also takes up about 64% less area than the Morito 25. In addition, the drone uses two pairs of batteries, four in total, that crews fly and charge in rotation. As a result, operators can keep flying with fewer batteries, since one pair charges while the other pair is in the air.
Karusuke series specifications
The Karusuke 25 carries up to 25 kilograms (55 pounds) and flies up to 1,000 meters (about 3,280 feet), with a maximum unloaded flight time of 23 minutes. It went on sale June 29, 2026, and shipments are scheduled to begin in stages from September 1, 2026.
Meanwhile, the larger Karusuke 55 carries up to 55 kilograms (121 pounds) over the same 1,000-meter (about 3,280-foot) range, with a maximum unloaded flight time of 26 minutes. Mazex launched it on May 23, 2025, and revised its price to ¥2.5 million (about $16,700), excluding tax, on June 26, 2026.
Beyond seedlings, both drones can carry wildlife protection netting, tree shelters, food and drinking water to forestry sites.
Why Japan’s forestry sector needs cargo drones
Many of the plantation forests established in Japan after World War II have now reached harvest age. However, the industry faces a shortage of workers, an aging workforce and heavy workloads on steep terrain. The Forestry Agency’s fiscal 2025 forest and forestry white paper puts the share of forestry workers aged 65 and older at 25%. It also reports a workplace accident rate about 10 times the all-industry average.
At reforestation and stand-tending sites, workers often carry seedlings and materials by hand. That frequently means repeated trips to locations far from forest roads or to steep slopes vehicles cannot reach. Replacing that labor with drones, the companies said, can reduce physical strain and lower the risk of falls and slips on difficult ground. It can also free crews to concentrate on planting and tending, and shorten work time so reforestation moves forward more smoothly.
“Together with Mazex, we have pursued the question of what technology the field truly needs, and we have built a track record with the Morito series. Japanese forestry faces challenges including a shortage of workers, an aging workforce and a high rate of workplace accidents, and adopting the latest technology is urgent. As a company that has worked with Japan’s forests and forestry for more than 330 years, we will lead the digital transformation of forestry and contribute to a working environment where people in forestry can work safely and efficiently, and to sustainable forest management,” said Nishimura, general manager of the forest technology department in the resources and environment division at Sumitomo Forestry.
Hiroaki Yoshino, Mazex president, said, “We are very pleased to further advance smart forestry together with Sumitomo Forestry. “We developed Karusuke as an aircraft that can meet a broader range of transport needs, drawing on the knowledge the two companies built through the Morito series. We will continue to value manufacturing rooted in the field and, through collaboration with Sumitomo Forestry and our other partners, expand the options for transporting seedlings and materials, reduce the burden on everyone in forestry and improve work efficiency.”
More information is available at Sumitomo Forestry.
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