Get up to 15% off select Shou Sugi Ban profiles — premium charred wood siding
Get up to 15% off select Shou Sugi Ban profiles — premium charred wood siding
Choose the options you’d like to add to your quote request.
Choose the options you’d like to add to your quote request.
Traditional yakisugi siding is made by charring the surface of Japanese cedar to enhance its durability and aesthetic beauty. Originally used to protect homes from fire, decay, and insects, it’s now a defining material in modern architecture.
Nakamoto Forestry is the world’s largest producer of authentic yakisugi wood products. We sustainably harvest sugi cedar trees from our own forests in Japan and manage the entire process in-house—from planting and milling to flame treatment. The result: charred wood siding that’s beautiful, enduring, and responsibly made.
Browse our wide selection of authentic yakisugi “shou sugi ban” products, get inspired with our portfolio of finished projects around the globe, or learn more about the benefits and sustainability of charred wood below.
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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 pricing, please contact Sales
1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap ! Select Grade
1 x 6 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Select Grade
1 x 6 x 12 S4S Square Edge ! Select Grade
1 x 8 x 12 Shiplap ! Select Grade
1 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Select Grade
5/4 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Select Grade
1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap + Fire Retardant ! Select Grade
1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap ! Premium Clear Grade
5/4 x 2 1/2 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Premium Clear Grade
5/4 x 2 1/2 x 12 S4S Square Edge ! Premium Clear Grade
5/4 x 5 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Premium Clear Grade
5/4 x 5 x 12 S4S Square Edge ! Premium Clear Grade
1 x 2 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Premium Clear Grade
| Profile | Select Grade | Premium Clear Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap | GA2000 | GD2000 |
| 1 x 6 x 12 S3S Square Edge | GB2000 | – |
| 1 x 6 x 12 S4S Square Edge | GC2000 | – |
| 1 x 8 x 12 Shiplap | GE2000 | – |
| 1 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge | GF2000 | – |
| 1 x 2 x 12 S3S Square Edge | – | GG2000 |
| 5/4 x 2-1/2 x 12 S3S Square Edge | – | GH2000 |
| 5/4 x 2-1/2 x 12 S4S Square Edge | – | GI2000 |
| 5/4 x 5 x 12 S3S Square Edge | – | GJ2000 |
| 5/4 x 5 x 12 S4S Square Edge | – | GK2000 |
| 5/4 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge | GL2000 | – |
| 1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap + Fire Retardant | XA2000 | – |
Patina Scale: 10
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
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.
n/a
n/a
Available Select grade 1 x 6 x 12 shiplap only
Coat all field cuts and rips with touch up oil
Installation manual available upon request, please contact us for assistance.
Please add a healthy overage ranging 15–25%, as shipping additional material can be expensive.
Two ring or screw-shank headed face nails or screws per furring strip within 1” of each edge.
Rigid furring maximum 16” on-center.
Tube adhesive and pin nails
Per design specifications
Vertical or horizontal, all profiles.
Air dried then kiln dried to 9-13% MC, but may fluctuate during transport or warehousing. Please acclimate on site for two weeks prior to installation.
For more detailed installation and maintenance guidance, our installation manual is available upon request. Please contact our sales team to get a copy.
ASTM E-84 Class B without fire retardant, Class A with fire retardant (SKU# XA2000)
Available as PEFC-certified
CFP declaration: Gendai®
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): JR-BC-20002E-A
Charred, unbrushed, and unoiled yakisugi “shou sugi ban” is as traditional as it gets. Unoiled Suyaki® provides a visual and cultural benchmark for our products. Used mostly for exterior applications, though it has also been used in Japan for interior ceilings as an air purifier. 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.
1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap ! Select Grade
1 x 6 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Select Grade
1 x 8 x 12 Shiplap ! Select Grade
1 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Select Grade
5/4 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Premium Clear Grade
1 x 2 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Premium Clear Grade
5/4 x 2 1/2 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Premium Clear Grade
5/4 x 5 x 12 S3S Square Edge ! Premium Clear Grade
| Profile | Select Grade | Premium Clear Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap | SA2000 | – |
| 1 x 6 x 12 S3S Square Edge | SB2000 | – |
| 1 x 8 x 12 Shiplap | SE2000 | – |
| 1 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge | SF2000 | – |
| 1 x 2 x 12 S3S Square Edge | – | SG2000 |
| 5/4 x 2-1/2 x 12 S3S Square Edge | – | SH2000 |
| 5/4 x 5 x 12 S3S Square Edge | – | SJ2000 |
| 5/4 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge | SL2000 | – |
Patina Scale: 2
1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap
1 x 6 x 12 S3S 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 Square Edge
5/4 x 5 x 12 S3S Square Edge
5/4 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge
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.
Unoiled
Black
Coat all field cuts and rips with black tung oil touch up oil
Installation manual available upon request, please contact us for assistance.
Please add a healthy overage ranging from 15–25%, as shipping additional material can be expensive.
Two ring or screw-shank headed face nails or screws per furring strip within 1” of each edge.
Rigid furring maximum 16” on-center.
Vertical or horizontal, all profiles.
Air dried then kiln dried to 9-13% MC, but may fluctuate during transport or warehousing. Please acclimate on site for two weeks prior to installation.
ASTM E-84 Class A
Available as PEFC-certified
CFP declaration: Suyaki®
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): JR-BC-20001E-A
Our Pika-Pika® yakisugi "shou sugi ban" products receive a double brushing to remove most loose soot. This reveals a textured wood surface with striped grain patterns. Our unoiled version is suitable for both exterior and interior installations, and is meant to be coated by the customer.
For premium clear grade pricing, please contact Sales
1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap Select
1 x 6 x 12 S3S Square Edge
1 x 6 x 12 S4S Square Edge
1 x 8 x 12 Shiplap
1 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge
1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap + Fire Retardant
1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap Premium Clear
1 x 2 x 12 S3S Square Edge
| Profile | Select Grade | Premium Clear Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap | PA2000 | PD2000 |
| 1 x 6 x 12 S3S Square Edge | PB2000 | - |
| 1 x 6 x 12 S4S Square Edge | PC2000 | - |
| 1 x 8 x 12 Shiplap | PE2000 | - |
| 1 x 8 x 12 S3S Square Edge | PF2000 | - |
| 1 x 2 x 12 S3S Square Edge | - | PG2000 |
| 1 x 6 x 12 Shiplap + Fire Retardant | YA2000 | - |
Patina Scale: 8
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
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.
n/a
n/a
Available Select grade 1 x 6 x 12 shiplap only
Coat all field cuts and rips with touch up oil
Installation manual available upon request, please contact us for assistance.
Please add a healthy overage ranging 15–25%, as shipping additional material can be expensive.
Two ring or screw-shank headed face nails or screws per furring strip within 1” of each edge.
Rigid furring maximum 16” on-center.
Tube adhesive and pin nails
Per design specifications
Vertical or horizontal, all profiles.
Air dried then kiln dried to 9-13% MC, but may fluctuate during transport or warehousing. Please acclimate on site for two weeks prior to installation.
For more detailed installation and maintenance guidance, our installation manual is available upon request. Please contact our sales team to get a copy.
ASTM E-84 Class B, Class A withfire retardant (SKU# YA2000)
Available as PEFC-certified
CFP declaration: Pika-Pika®
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): JR-BC-20003E-A
Our resource hub for product information, technical articles, case studies, and content related to yakisugi and traditional Japanese wood products.
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Choose the options you’d like to add to your quote request.
Choose the options you’d like to add to your quote request.
What is yakisugi “shou sugi ban”? Yakisugi is a product, not a burning process. The term refers to a specific type of charred wood exterior siding that has been used as a vernacular building material in Western Japan for hundreds of years. In other parts of the world, yakisugi is sometimes called “shou sugi ban” siding.
Traditional yakisugi siding starts with logs of Japanese cedar (known as “sugi” in Japan) that are holistically milled into thin planks. The wood then receives intensive flame-treatment to improve resistance to rot, UV, moisture, fire, insects, and dimensional movement versus untreated wood siding. Yakisugi’s maintenance-optional durability provides exceptional long-term cost performance over its extended natural life cycle.
Yakisugi also offers a timeless beauty that is readily adaptable to projects. It has a quintessential wabi-sabi design aesthetic that can be finished in different ways to achieve a broad range of appearances. Learn more about authentic yakisugi.
I’m confused. What is the difference between “yakisugi” and “shou sugi ban”? The short answer is that there is no difference—they refer to the exact same product. But here’s how we got two competing terms for the same kind of charred Japanese cedar siding. In Japan, the term yakisugi is used exclusively to describe this material, though it is sometimes written as yakisugi-ita.
The alternate name shou sugi ban originates from a Westerner’s misreading of yakisugi-ita, where they apparently mixed Japanese and Chinese pronunciations of the ideograms. The word “yaki” in Japanese (meaning burnt or charred) is pronounced “shou” in Chinese. “Sugi” refers to the conifer Cryptomeria japonica—a type of cedar that’s indigenous to Japan. “Ban” is the Chinese reading of the ideogram for board or plank, pronounced “ita” in Japanese.
While the term shou sugi ban caught on in the West when the material was introduced in the 1990s, the online keyword yakisugi is appearing more frequently in searches, databases, and media. Read more about yakisugi vs shou sugi ban.
Can yakisugi “shou sugi ban” be used for cabinets, doors, or table-tops? Yes. Our 18mm and 30mm yakisugi “shou sugi ban” profiles are suitable for applications requiring thicker board stock. Our standard 9/16” thickness yakisugi siding can be edged and/or back-planed, then glued up as the cabinet or door facing. For specific dimensions and profiles, please refer to the individual product specification sheets.
We also offer unburned sugi and hinoki lumber; these products are optimal for furniture and cabinet applications. Feel free to reach out to our sales team for information on currently available options. Please note that we do not do custom millwork.
Can yakisugi “shou sugi ban” be used for framing or decking lumber? No. Due to the high temperature heat treatment process, yakisugi “shou sugi ban” is a thin-plank lumber material used primarily for cosmetic cladding. Our standard charred wood thickness for siding is 9/16”, and our 18mm and 30mm profiles are not thick enough to be used as framing lumber (6/4 or more by code.) Yakisugi is also too soft to use as decking. For framing or decking lumber, it is advised to use a local wood option instead of yakisugi.
Do any of the dozens of species of wood termites attack yakisugi “shou sugi ban” siding? No. Yakisugi siding is resistant to wood termites. The charring process reduces cellulose and installation over a screen wall allows the siding to dry out quickly, making it an unattractive target for wood-boring insects. Learn more about yakisugi’s pest resistance.
All North American orders ship from inventory stored at our US facility within two weeks. Any tariff costs are included in our published pricing and you will not be charged additional taxes (aside from your local and state taxes).
