Quick Summary
Additional Context
This project appeared in Make: Vol. 97. Subscribe to Make: for more great projects.
Yakisugi is a traditional technique originating in western Japan more than 400 years ago. It is the process of deeply charring the surface of cedar boards to make them less susceptible to fire, bugs, rot, and UV damage from sunlight. These boards were used almost exclusively for siding buildings, for fences, and occasionally ceilings. The effect is pretty dramatic, especially when covering large surfaces.
The name yakisugi (焼杉) derives from two Japanese words: yaki (焼) meaning burned, charred, or broiled, and sugi (杉) referring to a Japanese cedar tree, Cryptomeria japonica. (Yakisugi is sometimes incorrectly called “sho sugi ban,” based on a mistranslation of the kanji characters in the U.S. media. No on