Sugi

We introduced our kiln-dried Sugi product as an additional option for North America in response to numerous customer requests. We were also inspired by projects where our customers contrasted our yakisugi “shou sugi ban” products with locally sourced cedars. 

Sugi offers a heartwood-sapwood color contrast that mirrors Western Red Cedar, while its grain pattern shares similarities with Eastern White Cedar and Bald Cypress. Our Sugi products are precisely milled from grade-A logs using traditional processes, then sanded to an interior-grade finished surface. These exceptionally high millwork standards make it a premium material. Our pricing remains competitive when considering comparable millwork and grading for randomly resawn North American cedars and cypresses. 

Moreover, our forests in Japan are managed sustainably, in accordance with Japan’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. Wood sourced from Nakamoto’s own forests are PEFC certified material, ensuring the greatest care is taken in sustainable management and that old growth is never harvested. 

Our Sugi products are versatile for both exterior and interior applications, offering the choice of being coated or uncoated. Oil finish application and installation parameters are similar to other wood siding products in North America; Sugi can be coated and installed using standard tradecraft. Please note that we currently do not offer Sugi with a factory finish, apart from our unique weathering stain. This is due to potential soot contamination from the yakisugi products processed in our Portland coatings shop.

Sugi is specifically engineered not to require an oil finish and can be left unoiled for both interior and exterior applications. It can also be coated on-site using standard painting tradecraft in any desired color. We strongly recommend using only plant-derived coating formulas, steering clear of any petroleum-derived polyurethanes. It is advisable to test any coating on a sample before applying to the entire Sugi scope.

For a variety of reasons, we specify whether each of our products can be used indoors, outdoors, or both. The key distinction lies in whether the space will be exposed to direct weather conditions, regardless of whether it has conditioned air. Exterior-only products are not suitable for indoor use, and interior-only products are not suitable for outdoor use. 

For detailed information, please refer to the individual specification sheets for the Nakamoto Forestry products under consideration for your project.