Yakisugi or Shou Sugi Ban ?

Yakisugi (焼杉) can be literally translated as “burned cedar”. It has been used as a traditional method to protect timber siding surfaces, mostly for exterior cladding on traditional Japanese houses, when there was still no means of chemical wood protection. This method of Yakisugi improves siding longevity by preventing decay; insect and mould infestation; makes the planks more dimensionally stable and improves fire retardancy.

Yakisugi is also now commonly know as “Shou Sugi Ban” – with Sugi having the same meaning as Sugi in Yakisugi. Shou is a misspelled reading of “Yaki”, so basically they have the identical meaning. While Yakisugi is the common name for this method in Japan, nearly nobody in Japan would understand the term “Shou Sugi Ban”.

To find out more: https://japanwoodcraftassociation.com/traditions/techniques/yakisugi-shou-sugi-ban/