Japanese cedar, also commonly known as suji or by its botanical name Cryptomeria, is an evergreen conifer and national tree of Japan. It is called a cedar but is a cypress tree. It is a monotypic genus or a one-of-a-kind tree with all-season visual interest that grows upright, with a straight trunk, and is prized for its pinkish, aromatic timber.

Cryptomeria japonica, commonly called Japanese cedar or sugi, is a slender, pyramidal, evergreen conifer with tiered horizontal branching, which is slightly pendulous at the tips. Japanese cedar is a monotypic genus unrelated to the true cedars (Cedrus).

Japanese cedar (“cryptomeria”) is a large, temperate conifer native to East Asia. It does not like dry conditions, but tolerates frost and wind and does best in well drained, deep soils at altitudes of up to 600 metres. With an elegant conical form it is commonly planted as an ornamental, or for shelter.

Sugi wood, sometimes called Japanese cedar, is a species of coniferous tree that grows throughout Japan. It’s been used in construction and furniture-making there for centuries and can find in everything from temples to shrines. The tree grows best in humid climates with plenty of rain.