Gendai® Yakisugi (Shou Sugi Ban)

Q: What is the longevity of Gendai compared to your other products?

Gendai undergoes the same heat treatment process as our traditional Suyaki products, followed by a single brushing that removes most of the soot layer to create a more user-friendly siding product. This type of siding has been used for centuries. In Japan, the term “arai,” (meaning “washed”) is commonly used because water is used during the brushing process. Essentially, Gendai represents what Suyaki will look like after about 50 years of soot layer weathering. Gendai products should have a total lifespan of about 75 years without maintenance—and this can be extended with periodic oil recoating. It is essential for new owners to differentiate wood durability from color longevity. Like any other wood siding, Gendai used for exterior siding will naturally fade and weather over time. To maintain a specified color, it will be necessary to regularly recoat Gendai with one of our exterior finish options.

Q: We are on a tight budget and unoiled Gendai is your lowest-priced product. Is it okay to use this product without a coating? Will it last as long as coated Gendai products?

In Western Japan, brushed yakisugi (like our Gendai products) is traditionally installed without an oil finish and has demonstrated excellent performance. While finish coatings are not mandatory, they do enhance the overall lifespan and color longevity of any siding, including Gendai. Our specially formulated coatings enhance the durability of exterior wood installations by providing additional protection against UV rays and moisture. For yakisugi “shou sugi ban” customers with budget constraints, unoiled Gendai offers a solid choice. If desired, a finish coating can always be applied in the future. This flexibility allows for customization based on individual preferences and financial considerations.

Q: Do you have a Gendai clear coat option?

At present, we do not offer a genuine clear coat prefinish option for our Gendai products, primarily because it is an infrequent specification request. The nearest factory-finished product available is Gendai with an alkyd Natural coating. This combination imparts a subtle yellow hue due to transparent oxides in the oil and is suitable for both exterior and interior applications. Customers can also purchase unoiled Gendai and have their own preferred finish coating applied on-site, before or after installation.

Q: We want to use Gendai on both the exterior and interior of our project. Which Nakamoto Forestry finish coating should we use for this? Or do we need separate products for the two scopes?

Any of our alkyd and acrylic coatings are suitable for both exterior and interior applications. If you prefer the appearance of the linseed coating over the alkyd option, simply specify linseed for exterior and alkyd for interior. (Please note: Our linseed coating option should not be used for interior applications.) Customers can also purchase unoiled Gendai and have their own preferred finish coating applied on-site, before or after installation.

Q: The unoiled Gendai spec sheet shows that it can be used on ceilings. Is this true or is it a typo?

Unoiled Gendai is occasionally used for traditional interior ceilings to serve as an air purifier. But for most interior yakisugi “shou sugi ban” applications, we recommend using a factory coating to bind any residual soot into the paneling surface.

Q: Why is Suyaki more expensive than Gendai?

Protecting the delicate soot layer on our Suyaki products requires careful manufacturing and packing processes. This additional labor slightly raises the production costs for Suyaki versus our Gendai products.

Gendai® is our most commonly specified yakisugi “shou sugi ban” surface for exterior applications. A light single brushing process knocks down the heavy soot layer and leaves a smooth, silky appearance with subtle burnt fiber crevasse shadows.

Gendai can either be installed with or without an oil prefinish.

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Gendai® Unoiled

Exterior, Interior

Our Gendai® yakisugi “shou sugi ban” products receive a single brushing to remove some of the delicate soot layer–leaving a smooth, consistent, and dark surface. Unoiled Gendai is suitable for exterior applications. This is a great option for owners who appreciate the natural beauty of wood and siding with a unique, ever-changing patina. Leaving the charred wood unoiled allows it to naturally weather in response to the local climate. The yakisugi heat treatment process hardens and protects the siding against pests, moisture, and fire. Available burned on both faces (S4S) for fencing or louver applications.

For premium clear grade and clear vertical grain pricing, please contact Sales

SKUs

SKU	Grade	Profile
GA2000	Select	1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap Select
GD2000	Premium Clear	1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap Premium Clear
GB2000	Select	1 x 6 x 12 S3S Square Edge
GC2000	Select	1 x 6 x 12 S4S Square Edge
GE2000	Select	1 x 8 x 12 Shiplap
GF2000	Select	1 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge
GG2000	Clear Vertical Grain	1 x 2 x 12 S3S Square Edge
GH2000	Premium Clear	5/4 x 2-1/2 x 12 S3S Square Edge
GI2000	Premium Clear	5/4 x 2-1/2 x 12 S4S Square Edge
GJ2000	Premium Clear	5/4 x 5 x 12 S3S Square Edge
GK2000	Premium Clear	5/4 x 5 x 12 S4S Square Edge
GL2000	Select	5/4 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge
XA2000	Select	1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap + Fire Retardant

Considerations

Our most dramatic patina product.
Fades and changes color over time.
Can be coated with an oil finish at installation or any time in future.
Every project will weather differently due to unique microclimates.
Soot residue, caking, and blemishing (especially along board edges) are all common with this product.
Traditionally used on interior ceilings as an air purifier.

Patina scale

Patina Scale: 10

The Patina Scale has been developed by Nakamoto Forestry to approximate how its products will weather over time—from 0 (“less patina/more color longevity”) to 10 (“less color longevity/more patina”). However, every product weathers at a different rate due to local conditions, and the Patina Scale is intended as general guidance only, and is solely for informational purposes. Nakamoto Forestry makes no guarantees, representations, or warranties, express or implied, regarding the appearance or color longevity of its products after installation.

Dimensions

*Dimensional shrinkage after manufacture is possible due to being a solid-sawn wood product.

1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap

1 x 6 x 12 S3S & S4S Square Edge

1 x 8 x 12 Shiplap

1 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge

1 x 2 x 12 S3S Square Edge

5/4 x 2-1/2 x 12 S3S & S4S Square Edge

5/4 x 5 x 12 S3S & S4S Square Edge

5/4 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge

Finish details

Unoiled

Yakisugi heat treatment makes a finish coating unnecessary. Unoiled siding can always be oiled in the future to add color or protection. Delivered ready to install.

Prefinish Options

n/a

Prefinish Color

n/a

Pressure-Treated Fire Retardant

Available Select grade 1 x 6 x 12 shiplap only

Field Cuts

Coat all field cuts and rips with touch up oil

Installation details

For installation instructions

Installation manual available upon request, please contact us for assistance.

Overage

Please add a healthy overage ranging 15–25%, as shipping additional material can be expensive.

Fastening (Exterior)

Two ring or screw-shank headed face nails or screws per furring strip within 1” of each edge.

Substrate (Exterior)

Rigid furring maximum 16” on-center.

Fastening (Interior)

Tube adhesive and pin nails

Substrate (Interior)

Per design specifications

Installation Layout

Vertical or horizontal, all profiles.

For more detailed installation and maintenance guidance, our installation manual is available upon request. Please contact our sales team to get a copy.

Species

Cryptomeria japonica, a monotypic genus in the cedar family native to Japan. The Japanese name is "sugi", as in yakisugi and "shou sugi ban". In English it is colloquially called Japanese cedar.

Certifications

Fire Resistance

ASTM E-84 Class B without fire retardant, Class A with fire retardant (SKU# XA2000)

Sustainability

PEFC chain of custody certified PEFC/29-44-03

EPD registration: JR-BC-20002E-A

Resource downloads

Download Rendering Field

Download Product Specs

CSI Guide Specifications

Policies, Terms & Conditions

Exterior, Interior

Gendai® Unoiled