Sugi

The fact that nearly 70% of Japan is covered in forest is a testament to a culture that values sustainability and natural resources.

Japan’s forestry practices balance harvesting with regeneration through strict replanting laws and traditional selective cutting methods.

The Japanese concept of mottainai – respect for resources and rejection of waste – permeates the entire timber supply chain. Detailed traceability systems ensure every piece of wood can be tracked to its source, providing transparency increasingly rare in the global market.

Slow Growth, Superior Strength

Beyond environmental responsibility, Japanese timber is prized for its exceptional quality.

The country’s geographical location and cold climate play an importang role role in this – the harsh winters and mountainous terrain cause trees to grow more slowly, resulting in tighter growth rings and denser wood with superior strength and stability.

When you choose timber from Japan, you’re not just selecting a sustainable product – you’re investing in material that has been cultivated and processed with meticulous care, backed by a forestry tradition that has sustained itself for generations.

We work alongside architects, designers, builders and installers every day. Whether its detailing a coastal facade or solving an interior challenge, our team brings decades of experience with specialist timbers in New Zealand conditions.

We’ll help you select the right species, recommend the best profile, and ensure everything meets NZ Building Code. Because we control both sourcing and manufacturing, you get consistent advice from specification through to installation.

Nearly 70% of Japan is covered in forest which is a testament to a culture that understands sustainability and places a high value on its own natural resources. Although it wasn’t always that way.

Centuries ago, during the prosperous Edo period, timber consumption soared along with widespread deforestation. Faced with a complete lack of resource, the government and local communities created and implemented a sustainable forestry practice across the country.

Careful Cultivation

Sustainable practices involve carefully selecting the right seeds for the soil, the types of trees to be grown and the location of these trees. By using selective logging practices and carefully managing which trees to harvest and when, ensures only high-quality trees are grown in areas with low transport costs.

Ethical Forestry

SUGI has exclusive access to these sustainable Japanese forests that have been carefully cultivated for centuries. All of our timber complies with the modern GOHO system set up to ensure ethical forestry practices and to combat illegal logging an deforestation globally.

Ongoing Commitment

In New Zealand we’ve developed an ethical sawmill protocol and production framework, which reflects our ongoing investment in creating a truly natural sustainable product that’s better for homes, better for us and better for the planet.

Use this form to order a colour sample you’re interested in. Colour samples are sent out on a generic profile. If you would like to see a specific product profile please let us know.

Architect or Specifier?

Send us an email and we will get a specifier kit to you with our latest range of profiles, finishes and colours.