Fuji Hinoki

According to Fuji City, Fuji hinoki is hinoki produced at the southern foot of Mt Fuji, a World Cultural Heritage site, in five Shizuoka municipalities: Fuji, Fujinomiya, Susono, Gotemba and Oyama (Sunto District). It grows slowly on lava ground with plentiful sunshine and rainfall. The local partnership that markets it states that the forests are managed for sustainable production, and that branded products come from forests designated by the Fuji district forestry promotion council.

Fuji hinoki is the same species as other hinoki, so its origin cannot be read from the wood itself; the general hinoki traits are indistinct growth rings, a fine, even texture, a lustrous finish and a characteristic fragrance. For branded "Fuji Hinoki Made" products, origin is backed by paperwork rather than appearance: they are made in factories certified by the Fuji district forestry promotion council, must meet set quality standards (for structural timber, moisture content 20% or less and stiffness equivalent to E-90 or higher), and carry PEFC/SGEC chain-of-custody certification.

Hinoki has long been the wood used for building Japanese shrines and temples, and is also used for houses, joinery, Buddhist statues, bentwood ware, tubs and bathtubs. Fuji hinoki was used for the wooden lattice of the Mt Fuji World Heritage Centre in Shizuoka, which became Japan's first SGEC project certification; Fuji City supports use of the wood through wooden toys and puzzles given to local children and subsidies for buildings that use it.