Cedar – Japanese

Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), known in Japan as Sugi, is the country’s national tree. It’s planted at temples and sacred sites across Japan, and some ancient trees are famous landmarks in their own right. It’s prized for its scented, strong but lightweight timber, and it’s been planted well beyond Japan, including in South Africa.
The wood is reddish-pink to light brown, straight-grained and medium-textured, often with a pleasant, clean fragrance. It’s strong for its weight and resists water well, which is why it has been used in Japanese boat and ship building for centuries.
Knots are fairly common, as you’d expect from a cedar, but otherwise it works very easily with hand and power tools, and it glues, stains and finishes well. It’s soft, so it dents more easily than hardwoods.
Japanese Cedar is used for construction, interior paneling, furniture, boatbuilding, carving and turnings, and it’s a traditional choice for Japanese architecture and woodwork. Our Japanese Cedar was grown in South Africa, where the species was introduced and does well. If you like light, fragrant softwoods, see also Western Red Cedar.
This species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but is categorized as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN.
Why We Love This Wood
Light, strong and fragrant. It's Japan's national tree, and ours is grown in South Africa.
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Vital Statistics
| Main Color Group | Yellow / Pink |
| Grain Pattern | Even |
| Avg Dry Weight - LB/BF | 1.9 |
| Avg Dry Weight - KG/M3 | 360 |
| Janka Hardness - LBF | 320 |
| Janka Hardness - N | 1420 |
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