Shou Sugi Ban 101 – Nakamoto Forestry

Shou Sugi Ban (or Yakisugi, as it is known in Japan) means “burned cedar.” It is an ingenious 18th-century Japanese wood burning technique that creates an intriguing charred appearance that highlights natural wood veining, creates textural interest, and varies in appearance according to how much fire is applied and which type of wood is used. (Japanese Cypress is considered the gold standard for purists, although other wood types can be used to varying degrees of success.) While it might seem counterintuitive, the act of charring wood doesn’t make it structurally weaker, but magically has the opposite effect. Burning the surface of the wood under controlled conditions fortifies and protects the wood against future damage, making it an excellent preservation technique.

What Is Shou Sugi Ban (Yakisugi)?

Kristin Hohenadel has written on design for publications including the New York Times, Interior Design, Slate, Fast Company, and the international editions of Elle Decor.

Sarah Scott is a fact-checker and researcher who has worked in the custom home building industry in sales, marketing, and design.

The Japanese craft of Yakisugi is—due to a botched translation—mistakenly called Shou Sugi Ban in the West. This technique has been used for centuries in Japan and is growing in popularity around the world—here’s what to know.

Shou Sugi Ban, also known as Yakisugi, is a decorative and architectural wood-burning technique that has been used for centuries in Japan. This traditional Japanese wood preservation method involves voluntarily charring wood to create a textural surface that is beautiful to look at—and that offers practical advantages when executed correctly. It can be used as a treatment on outdoor architectural elements such as siding, as well as indoors on walls and furniture. The aesthetic qualities of Shou Sugi Ban have inspired a revived interest in the wood-charring technique in recent years, which has become a prominent trend in architecture and interior design around the world.

The Origins of Shou Sugi Ban (Yakisugi)

Shou Sugi Ban (or Yakisugi, as it is known in Japan) means “burned cedar.” It is an ingenious 18th-century Japanese wood burning technique that creates an intriguing charred appearance that highlights natural wood veining, creates textural interest, and varies in appearance according to how much fire is applied and which type of wood is used. (Japanese Cypress is considered the gold standard for purists, although other wood types can be used to varying degrees of success.) While it might seem counterintuitive, the act of charring wood doesn’t make it structurally weaker, but magically has the opposite effect. Burning the surface of the wood under controlled conditions fortifies and protects the wood against future damage, making it an excellent preservation technique.

The use of Shou Sugi Ban in traditional Japanese architecture predates the practice of using chemicals to protect wood siding. Achieving Shou Sugi Ban involves a process that includes carefully selecting virgin wood that is cut into planks, dried in the sun or open air, burned on the surface to create a thin layer of char, then brushed and sealed with oil. This process can be done manually by everyone from master craftsmen to DIY enthusiasts, or by using machine automation.

This centuries-old technique lends a fresh and contemporary edge to modern architecture. The distinctive look of deeply saturated charcoal black wood has an understated but powerful presence that creates instant drama and interest on even the most minimalist structures and applications.

In recent years, the look of Shou Sugi Ban has become so on-trend that it has inspired designers to experiment with charred wood in surprising ways. Internationally renowned Dutch designer Maarten Baas is known for his Smoke series for luxury brand Moooi that includes a charred armchair and a blackened wood chandelier that is sealed with transparent epoxy resin. Inspired by Shou Sugi Ban, Baas and Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek designed Burnt Wood Wallpaper for NLXL that offers an accessible trompe l’oeil way to incorporate the look. And you can now find faux Shou Sugi Ban panels made from treated (but not charred), reclaimed (rather than new) wood on the market, as well.

Uses of Shou Sugi Ban (Yakisugi)

• Siding, fencing, decking, and door or window frames on the exterior homes or other buildings
• Interior wall and ceiling cladding
• Outdoor furniture, such as tables and chairs
• Indoor furniture, such as chairs, tables, dressers, and cabinetry
• Designer creations such as chandeliers and even jewelry
• Interior and exterior accent walls and panels

Advantages of Shou Sugi Ban (Yakisugi)

• No- to low-maintenance material
• Wood can be left to develop a patina over time or re-oiled periodically to maintain its color
• Provides weatherproofing and waterproofing
• Prevents mold and wood rot, increasing durability and longevity
• Protects against termites and other insect infestations
• Has fire-retarding properties
• Increases stability of wood planks
• Doesn’t require use of chemicals
• Promotes sustainability through use of natural materials, although the effects of burning wood and creating ash has environmental implications
• Creates a textural surface that adds interest to even the most minimalist or modest structures

Challenges of Shou Sugi Ban (Yakisugi)

• While anyone can try their hand at it, the wood charring process requires patience and care to execute
• Technique must be used on clean wood, such as Japanese Cypress
• Not all woods work as successfully to achieve desired effects
• Safety issues and proper use of materials such as a blow torch is a factor for DIYers

Interested in trying it out for yourself? Check out our DIY Shou Sugi Ban tutorial.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Burning Wood to Make it Fireproof : The Science Behind Shou Sugi Ban. Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association.
2. Yakisugi: Origins. Japan Woodcraft Association.
3. Ebner DH, Barbu MC, Klaushofer J, Čermák P. Surface Modification of Spruce and Fir Sawn-Timber by Charring in the Traditional Japanese Method-Yakisugi. Polymers (Basel), vol. 13, no. 10, 2021, pp. 1662. doi:10.3390/polym13101662
4. Kerdiati, Ni Luh Kadek Resi. Understanding Wood Finishing Using the Japanese Wood Burning Technique (Shou Sugi Ban) in Architecture. Journal of Aesthetics, Design, and Art Management, vol. 1, no. 1, 2021.
5. Environmental and Health Impacts of Open Burning. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
6. Torch Safety. Southwest Center for Agricultural Health.

Shou Sugi Ban 101 – Nakamoto Forestry

Confused about shou sugi ban, or charred wood siding in general? Don’t fret, we know it can be confusing and we’re here to help! Interested customers ask us a variety of questions every day, and we figured it was time to put together a beginner’s guide to shou sugi ban.

*Note: This is simply an entry point to some of the most common questions our customers ask. This is not a comprehensive guide by any means. But it will help set you up to use yakisugi for whatever project you’ve got in mind. We’ve also included plenty of links to further reading – if you so choose. Let’s dive in!

What is Yakisugi “Shou Sugi Ban”?

Yakisugi is a thin plank of softwood siding and paneling heat treated in a traditional Japanese process. Yaki means burnt, charred, or heat-treated, and sugi refers to the cryptomeria japonica tree indigenous to Japan (often called Japanese cedar). So, yakisugi translates to charred cypress, burnt cedar, or heat treated sugi. This burnt cladding material is then installed on a structure to protect it from fire, pests, and weathering.

Yakisugi or Shou Sugi Ban – Which is it?

Great question! In Japan where it originates and where 90% of worldwide consumption still is, everyone calls it yakisugi. In the West, however, someone misread the word about 15 years ago as shou sugi ban ( a grad student working with Fujimori Teranobu ) and somehow the term stuck. Then DIY culture picked it up and ran with it. Not to mention a New York Times article . This left us caught between our traditional roots or playing along for the SEO long game. Shou sugi ban is a ludicrous word in Japanese so this is a tough one. Read more here in this blog post.

How Do You Make Shou Sugi Ban?

Historically, yakisugi is made directly at the jobsite by the carpentry crew. However, the process has been refined after transitioning manufacturing to lumber mills. This transition has led to increased longevity and dimensional stability for both interior and exterior use.

Yakisugi is made by harvesting cypress trees in Japan, milling them to spec and then burning them using a kiln. It is then finished with an oil if desired and shipped to the jobsite for installation.

Check out this From Our Forest To Your Walls video. It briefly breaks down each stage of the process.

Where Does Shou Sugi Ban Come From?

Is Shou Sugi Ban Sustainable?

Wood and Shou Sugi Ban Sustainability

Aside from maybe a locally-sourced stone facade, wood is the most sustainable material compared to every other cladding product commonly available in construction. This really is the BIG ONE on the entire sustainability conversation. Consider greenhouse gases produced from any other cladding material…it doesn’t even compare. Natural solid sawn wood is better for your health and for the environment, full stop.

In terms of shou sugi ban sustainability in general, there are a few important points most people don’t realize. First of all the lumber market is international due to efficient freight and we can deliver wood from Japan to most projects with similar carbon footprint as regional lumber. Second, shou sugi ban is less carbon-intensive to manufacture compared to regular siding since it does not need to be highly surfaced, plus two minutes of recirculating-type kiln burning uses much less energy than the week-long kiln drying process regular siding goes through (siding has to be case hardened with a kiln either way for dimensional stability). Finally, it is important to understand that the burning process is designed to be in lieu of an oil or paint finish, so that part of the manufacturing or build process can be nixed.

Nakamoto Forestry Thoughts and Practices

Over the years we have adapted our timberland management, manufacturing practices, and distribution setup to align with our core mission of permanent sustainability and more recently our staff’s fear of climate change.

There is a lot involved in terms of planning, execution, and certifications. It starts with timberland management planning based on the most recent and comprehensive science, from seedling cultivar selection to watershed protection to a longer harvest cycle of 100 years.

Nakamoto Forestry’s Manufacturing Process vs. Others

In terms of the manufacturing process, we:

• Air dry our lumber instead of kiln drying
• Use kilns have afterburner engineering to minimize natural gas consumption
• Use low-to-zero VOC (solvent) finishes
• Bring logs in from nearby our mills and ship to the West from a port near our Tokushima mill

Ocean freight is the most energy-efficient method of cargo transportation. We can beat North American mills on carbon footprint since they’re trucking in logs from farther away and transporting cants from mill to mill and selling through tiered distribution.

Additionally we are the only shou sugi ban mill that we are aware of that has made the effort to become sustainability certified (under strict PEFC chain of custody parameters), have carbon footprints calculated for all of our products, and offer a Environmental Product Declaration for all of our products. The effort and expense for this array of data and compliance simply does not pencil out in the lumber business and can only be explained by authentic environmentalist credibility.

Check out our wood siding sustainability page for the full scoop on this topic.

Shou Sugi Ban Maintenance: How Much is Required?

During and After Installation Will Soot Come Off on Us?

Yes during installation, but not afterwards. The carpenters will get soot on their hands during installation so will learn real quickly not to rub their noses. All of our products (other than unoiled Gendai) have an oil finish that glues the soot into the wood. Soot will get all over the oiled board faces during installation so we recommend washing the walls down with a hose or sopping wet rag as the final step. After that, no sootiness.

Here’s a 60 second video video from Morlock Timber that clears it up nicely.

How Many Shou Sugi Ban Options Do you Have?

Let’s break it down:

There are four traditional shou sugi ban surface types. We call them Sugi , Suyaki , Gendai , and Pika-Pika .

Second, choose an oil-stain color option. Not all surface types have all color options available, but there are plenty to choose from to find your desired look. Here’s a great blog post on this topic.

Third, choose which wood grade you want: standard select or JOKO premium clear. The difference is with knots, or with no knots.

Finally, decide what board width you want and if you want a shiplap or square edge profile for your layout design. Please see our installation diagram options for various layout examples to help decide. Note often orders are a combination, with shiplap as the field profile and square edge used for trim or louvered screen. Our most popular profile is 1×6 shiplap but we regularly see every choice there is.

Have More Questions About Shou Sugi Ban?

We get a ton of questions about shou sugi ban. People are nervous about what they read online since it’s such an exotic material and so many online resources are questionable. It has an interesting background story and people want to talk with us as representatives from Japan. And we don’t blame them! Personally, I remember my first day at Nakamoto Forestry over three years ago. I was completely lost. But after reading a handful of blogs, scrolling through our social media and beginning to do research on a bunch of different topics, I eventually got my bearings. If I can do it, so can you. If I didn’t cover your question in this introduction, please feel free to reach out – that’s what we’re here for!

What Else Should I Know?

We recommend diving into our website and learning as much as you can from our various articles, blogs and educational content! Yakisugi is a broad topic that we could talk about all day. Here are some handy topics for further reading to get started: