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! We get asked a variety of questions from…
Forest Bathing: A Growing Japanese Trend
Have your friends ever asked you to go “forest bathing?” Unless your friend is Japanese, the answer is likely no. We all know the refreshing feeling from time spent outdoors surrounded by…
Which Yakisugi is a Match for Your Project?
Simple Guidance on Choosing the Right Nakamoto Forestry Product for You Choosing a yakisugi (or “shou sugi ban”) product can be daunting or easy. Use this brief guide to cover the standard…
“Shou Sugi Ban” vs. “Yakisugi”: Why We’re Adopting Both Terms for Burned Wood Siding
We haven’t exactly been quiet the past few years about our thoughts on how the term “shou sugi ban” is used to describe burned wood siding. As a proud Japanese brand with…
3 Commercial Shou Sugi Ban Projects to Inspire Your Next Award-Winning Build
Whether your next shou sugi ban project is building a cabin-resort in the woods of Washington state or a bird sanctuary in Pennsylvania, siding is one of the most important elements in…
Mascots in Japan and Nakamoto Forestry’s “Shokunin Taro”
What are Mascots? In the United States we typically think of the character that represents our favorite sports team. They’re usually running around on a field or court and entertaining the crowd…
Charred Wood Siding Color Change
A lot of Westerners considering traditional yakisugi, shou sugi ban or any kind of charred wood siding start with the assumption that because it is burned, it will be black and stay…
The Health Benefits of Interior Wood Paneling
An Explosion in Home Renovations With most of the globe having spent the better part of the past 18 months social distancing, staying indoors and quarantining, it’s no wonder that home renovation…
Japanese Culture: The Actual Meaning of Wabi-Sabi
Every Japanese person intuitively knows about the concept of wabi-sabi. Still, when asked to explain or define it, we cannot put it into a clear and concise definition. Often, when we try…
Slender House by Waechter Architecture and Nakamoto Forestry Featured in Dwell
The local Portland project features Nakamoto Forestry Gendai in Black shou sugi ban siding One of our favorite local Portland projects has been getting some attention recently for its creative modern design…
Shou Sugi Ban Wood: 5 Things Every Architect Should Know Before Specifying
Today’s architects face many challenges. Working with contractors and homeowners, researching new products like shou sugi ban wood, spending countless hours from conceptual drafts to detail diagrams, and of course managing their…
Suzuki+Kidd Architects Suyaki Charred Wood Siding Project Nominated for Office Design Award
Yamato Transport Charred Wood Project Named Finalist in SBID Awards Nakamoto Forestry North America is honored to have our Suyaki shou sugi ban featured in Yamato Transport USA’s recent remodel project. The…
Shou Sugi Ban Siding Maintenance
Wash, Tighten, Re-oil. The main challenge for the North American shou sugi ban market is that it hasn’t been around for very long. Not only have most people never seen charred wood…
DIY: What’s the Best Way to Brush Your Own Shou Sugi Ban?
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…
Biophilic Design (and wood)
What is Biophilic Design? Biophilia is the human love of nature. Biophilic design is the practice of consciously incorporating materials or spaces that reinforce our relationship with the living world into the…
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…
The Japanese Concept of “Mottainai”
There are several ubiquitous words in Japanese that are great culture studies. One of the most important is the concept of “mottainai”. Mottainai represents the concepts of efficiency, modesty, and practicality, all…
Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building
We at Nakamoto Forestry North America are incredibly proud to have been a part of this innovative building design. The Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building in Newport, OR is a collaborative effort…
The Top 4 Reasons Why You Should Use Yakisugi (Shou Sugi Ban) for Your Exterior Siding Project
It’s inexpensive. It’s durable. It’s beautiful. It’s wholesome. Yakisugi, also known as “shou sugi ban” in the west, is quickly becoming known worldwide as a great option for exterior siding. But how…
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…