In the news - Yakisugi gains momentum in Europe

Several news outlets have recently reported about the Japanese tradition of burning wood. With its pure and natural background and stunning beauty it caused an increased demand for this unique product in the West

By Martin Gottschlich

Yakisugi, the ancient Japanese tradition about burning wood increasingly is drawing interest in the West. About five years ago, Yakisugi started to get more and more popular in the United States. Now Europe is following that thrend and Yakisugi / Shou Sugi Ban is gaining attraction here.

Timber for cladding and siding is charred in a holistic process, creating a carbonized surface layer. Due to the heat treatment, the cell structure of the timber boards is modified and thus made durable and water-resistant. This process is environmental-friendly and, combined with the natural beauty of the product and its low maintenance, it is becoming increasingly attractive for architects and homeowners.

In North America, numerous architectural and design magazines have introduced their readers to the sustainable way to conserve wood. Amongst many others, the New York Times, Forbes and other magazines have covered Yakisugi in their stories.

Just recently, Apple TV+, in their newly established series “Home”, which covers breathtaking and imaginative architecture, covered Yakisugi as the ancient wood-burning technique from Japan in Episode 5, released only in April 2020.

Yakisugi in European media

In the last twelve months, Yakisugi has also gained momentum in Europe. Architectural and design magazines as well as major newspapers have reported about the “new” trend.

‘Le Monde’ in France, ‘Westdeutsche Zeitung’ in Germany, ‘The Telegraph’ in the U.K., ‘der Kurier’ in Austria, ‘Le Soir’ in Belgium, just to name a few, have covered Yakisugi in articles in the last couple of months.

In May 2020, the ‘Süddeutsche Zeitung’ reported about the history and advantages of Yakisugi and why it has become increasingly popular in Europe. And most recently in July 2020, the German federal broadcast station ‘Bayerischer Rundfunk’ visited our warehouse in Duesseldorf to find out more about the product and its tradition. To view the report, click link below (4:45 min., with English subtitles).

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In the news - Yakisugi gains momentum in Europe

By Martin Gottschlich

Yakisugi in European media

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