Black wood

Natural black façades with Yakisugi

Black Wood According to the Yakisugi method

A traditional heat treatment
for extraordinary durability

Black wood is created using a special technique from Japan called Yakisugi (also known as Shou Sugi Ban). This type of wood treatment has existed there since the 18th century. The name roughly means “burnt cypress board” and thus also refers to the treatment method. For black wood, the raw material is charred, giving it a variety of other useful properties in addition to its colour.

For black wood, we use the original Japanese cypress as the basis and refine it with precision according to traditional craftsmanship. The result is impressive and clearly stands out from conventional wooden products and facades.

Our black wood is available in three distinct finishes: The carbonised Suyaki surface showcases the unique, striking aesthetics of burnt wood. For Gendai and Pika-Pika surface variants, the wood is brushed either once or twice, gradually revealing the grain to enhance its natural beauty.

Black wood - what makes this timber so special?

Weather resistant, insect repellent
and durable

Black wood is characterised by more than just its colour. In Yakisugi (Shou Sugi Ban), the surface of the wood is deliberately charred, but only the outermost layer of the wood is treated. The carbonisation changes the surface structure fundamentally.

Thanks to this very special surface structure, black wood treated using the Yakisugi (Shou Sugi Ban) method becomes water-repellent, more robust and therefore more durable.

In addition, black wood also has a natural defence function against insect and mould infestation. For products intended for indoor use, the charcoal layer is also fixed for better durability.

For black wood, we use the original Japanese cypress. Though it is also possible to apply the process to other, local timber, cypress has numerous material advantages over domestic species, so we would like to concentrate on the traditional variant, as it is also used in Japan.

Unlike imitation surfaces, black wood, as a renewable raw material, naturally has an excellent environmental balance. This method also completely avoids the use of chemicals and solvents that are hazardous to health. The result is a unique combination of function and appearance that is sure to impress in your home.

Thanks to the traditional heat treatment, Yakisugi is resistant to rot and thus achieves exceptional weather resistance without any additional protective coating. It effortlessly defies the most adverse conditions, be it humidity, moisture, extreme heat, or frost.

Yakisugi is characterised by its remarkable durability. Sugi (Japanese cypress) is by nature superior in durability compared to conventional European cladding timber. The Yakisugi heat treatment adds further decades of years to this natural durability: there are numerous buildings in Japan with Yakisugi façades which are over 80 years old and have lost nothing of their beauty and functionality.

The Nakamoto Forestry family business in Japan produces Yakisugi for over 60 years. Typical to Japan, we do think in generations. Sustainability therefore is top priority in all production and processing steps to ensure that future generations can continue to use resources responsibly.

The cypress timber used for our Yakisugi come from our own forest stands and are selected with the utmost care. The burning process, which has been refined over decades, is continuously developed to offer you outstanding quality for your building project.

Our Yakisugi is the Japanese original, made from Japanese cypress and burned exclusively in Japan. The Nakamoto family has been active in wood production for over one hundred years and has been refining the boards from its own production using the traditional Yakisugi method for more than 60 years.

Black wood, the ideal option for modern and individual tastes

Black wood for your
design concept

Black wood is a very special eye-catcher for any home. Durable and low-maintenance, Yakisugi (Shou Sugi Ban) is also becoming increasingly popular in Western countries in North America and Europe.

As a sustainable solution, black wood using this method is the first choice for people who value naturalness and authenticity and have high expectations of their products.

Convince yourself of the quality and versatility of our range today! You can browse through our portfolio and look forward to short, customer-friendly delivery times at any time.

We are happy to offer personal advice and recommend the most suitable black wood from our range!

Black wood

A very versatile building material

You can use black wood anywhere that wood is typically used for surface design, such as in interior construction. The distinctive visual and characterful qualities of the material are advantageous in a wide range of contexts. No wood surface treated using this traditional method is ever quite the same as another. Black wood is therefore ideally suited to bringing your personal design visions to life.

Our reference projects showcase the diverse applications of black wood.

FAQ - Black wood

What is special about black wood from Nakamoto Forestry?

There are now a number of black woods on the market. However, very few of them fulfil our quality criteria. As the world market leader in this field, we strictly follow the traditional Japanese method of Yakisugi, which requires a high level of experience, great skill and sensitive precision in the treatment of the wood. In addition, we only use sugi, the wood of the Japanese cedar, for our products.

Why is black wood from Nakamoto Forestry affordable?

As a traditionally managed family business with Japanese roots and global interests, we rely on tightly organised production management and a lean distribution system without external intermediaries. We are happy to pass on the resulting cost benefits to you. Our black wood Yakisugi is not a luxury product. As in Japan, our philosophy is that it should also be an affordable material in Europe.

How sustainable is black wood from Nakamoto Forestry?

As a renewable raw material, wood is basically a building material with a very good ecological balance. This applies in particular to the wood of the comparatively fast-growing Japanese cedar. Nakamoto Forestry owns around 2,000 hectares of PEFC-certified forest in Japan, which we manage and maintain sustainably ourselves. Furthermore, our products are not chemically treated or sealed, but coated exclusively with natural, water-based oils, largely without solvents.

Our Yakisugi (Shou Sugi Ban) products

Overview of our Yakisugi varieties

SUYAKI

The original yakisugi

Suyaki is the original Yakisugi variety and the stand-out surface treatment. The firing process gives it a charred layer of midnight-black soot and its characteristic texture some compare to alligator skin. A definite conversation-starter and the choice for anyone who wants their project to stand out from the crowd.

GENDAI

brushed once

The silky-smooth finish of our Gendai products comes courtesy of a first-pass brushing of the soot layer, while subtly preserving the remnants of the charring process. This has become the go-to choice for many of our customers with outdoor installations and no wonder – it’s ideal whatever your concept and project.

PIKA-PIKA

brushed twice

The vivid contrasts and uneven texture of wood given the Pika-Pika (a Japanese onomatopoeic word meaning ‘shining’ and often used for something visually appealing) treatment come after the soot layer of the charred wood is twice-brushed. Already striking in its natural state, brushing twice along the wood grain intensifies its impact even more.