Setting the Stage Our two main mills in Hiroshima and Tokushima Japan are the largest yakisugi “shou sugi ban” millwork operation in the world, with a proprietary high-volume semi-automated millwork and heat…
DIY: Burning Shou Sugi Ban by the Traditional Japanese Flue Method
The Setup: Research, Preparation and Location are key One of the most interesting things about shou sugi ban is the transformational process used to make it–burning carefully prepared planks with intense heat…
The Top 10 Myths About Shou Sugi Ban Charred Wood Siding
Over the years we’ve seen a lot of mixed information circling the web surrounding what shou sugi ban is, how it is used, and wood siding in general. As industry leader since…
Nakamoto Forestry’s European Branch is now one year old!
Our EU branch in Düsseldorf, Germany, has now been open for one year and things are ramping up. Martin and Andreas are running a tight ship, having tested and selected a range…
Exterior Yakisugi Weathering: Years 1~3
Today I was getting ready to wash my yakisugi privacy wall in a spring cleanup and started noticing how it is weathering. Then I realized this is good content since weathering is…
Exterior Siding vs Interior Paneling Grade and Installation Tolerance Differences
Holed up during the pandemic this weekend I was at home thinking about blog content ideas and what would benefit our customers the most to share. One of the FAQs on our…
How To Tell Which End Of The Plank Is Crown-Up And Which End Is Roots-Down On Shou Sugi Ban Siding
This post is trivial for most people and is written with traditional tradesmen in mind. You might need to be OCD and infatuated with wood to appreciate this. A little extra care…
Wood Longevity Vs. Color Longevity With Shou Sugi Ban
This is a long and technical one because this subject is important, complex, nuanced and fun. Owners Want Low Maintenance and Beauty Architects and owners come to us with an almost universal…
An Outside-The-Box ADU Designed To Maximize Rental Income
We don’t get to meet many of our customers since we have an efficient distribution setup shipping directly throughout North America without a traveling sales team. Local projects are super fun since…
Yakisugi (Shou Sugi Ban) 80-Year Siding Longevity: Truth or Rubbish?
Often people ask us if yakisugi (shou sugi ban) really will last 80 years without maintenance. When we ask them where they got that number they always have read it on the…