Torch It! All About Yakisugi Charred Timber Finish

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 one in Japan calls it that; sho sugi ban isn’t even a word.)

Making Traditional Yakisugi Siding Boards

There are two basic ways to make yakisugi siding:

• The traditional way of making a triangular chimney.
  • Pros: Fast! Exciting! Dramatic! Deeply charred surface.
  • Cons: Dramatic! Smoky! Neighbors might not like it! Fire trucks!
• The weed torch method.
  • Pros: Not as smoky, neighbors might not even notice.
  • Cons: Slow, doesn’t char as deeply, requires propane and a big torch.

Because the weed torch method is pretty self-explanatory — lay the board on the ground and pass a torch over it until it is burned to your liking — I’ll demonstrate the traditional method.