A Craft, Millennia in the Making

Jun 23, 2025

「EP.48」屋久杉

YAKUSUGI
Kagoshima Prefecture

「transcript」

Over 7,000 years ago, a single seed sprouted in the misty mountains of Yakushima, growing into the Jomon Sugi, one of many sacred cedars known as Yakusugi. These cedars grow between 500–1,500 meters, where rain and poor granite soil slow their growth. This creates wood that is dense, resin-rich, and resistant to rot, insects, and fire.

In the Edo period, Yakusugi were harvested as tribute to the Satsuma domain. But twisted roots and complex grain made many trunks unsuitable and left in the forest. With logging now banned, only abandoned trunks, some cut centuries ago and preserved by resin and time, can be used.

Crafting with Yakusugi is a delicate process. Logs are dried for months or years. Artisans study each to plan cuts that highlight the grain. Multiple rounds of carving, drying, and reshaping follow as the wood shifts naturally.

Because of the unpredictability of these ancient trunks, each piece reveals stunning natural patterns, shimmering hikari, dramatic tora-moku, and rare awa-kobu. These patterns now appear in crafts ranging from large tables to small stationeries.

*The assets featured here are the work of their rightful creators, credited below