Lumber prices have reached record highs in Japan since economic sanctions were imposed against Russia, leading to expectations of a spike in housing costs in the years ahead.  Russia accounts for more than 80 percent of Japan’s imports of wood veneer sheets, which are used to make plywood boards. Nearly 20 percent of Japan’s imports of rafters, which are used to build home roofs, also come from Russia.  The Russian building materials are known for their strength.  But Japanese construction companies have halted orders for Russian wood amid waves of ...