Hinoki oil protects against mites

Thanks to the antibacterial properties of Hinoki, even if food or drinks are spilled, mites are rarely attracted, compared with fiber carpets. Hinoki has traditionally been used for its scent, but it is known to also have antibacterial and insecticidal effects, as well as sedative and antitussive (cough preventative) effects. Oil contained in its trunk also has a strong antibacterial effect and in addition, it has a repellent effect to mites and even has an antiproliferative effect against mites.

Hinoki is the king of wood

Hinoki is said to be strongest between 100 and 200 years after it’s harvested. Hinoki also ages five times more slowly than Zelkova, retaining the same strength even after 1,000 years. For example, Hinoki pillars in Horyu-ji Temple are still working after more than 1,300 years.

Get refreshed from special aroma of Hinoki.

The joint research group of Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute and Faculty of Medicine, Osaka City University reported that when the aroma of Hinoki was administered to rats, drag metabolism enzyme in the liver, which plays an important role in detoxifying foreign substances, increases. Aroma of Hinoki contains around 100 kinds of ingredients including limonen (liquid with lemon flavor). We can expect more achievement from their future research of these ingredients.

Water-resistant and doesn’t rot easily

In 2005, when the large Typhoon No. 14 passed over Miyazaki Prefecture, resulting in major damages such as flooding inside buildings, the plywood flooring and hardwood flooring all had to be replaced, but Hinoki could be used like before once it was cleaned. In Japan, there have also been Hinoki baths since ancient times. Why Hinoki baths? That’s because Hinoki is water-resistant and doesn’t rot easily. If they were cedar baths, they probably wouldn’t last even one year. Hinoki flooring is ideal for areas such as the kitchen or changing rooms, where a large amount of water is used.

Hinoki Muku flooring has a strength more than twice of plywood flooring.

The strength was proved in Miyazaki Prefectural Wood Utilization research Center.

Hinoki Strength test result

Wood does not deliver heat easily.

That is why wood is used to saibashi, long chopsticks for cooking, and the pot handle. This characteristics of wood are suitable for Japanese houses because in Japan, there are much difference in temperatures throughout a year. When wood is used to flooring, walls, and ceilings, they would not let the outside temperature getting in so that in summer, hot temperature does not come in and in winter, cold temperature does not come in. When the thermal conductivity of water is assumed to be 1, wood’s conductivity is 0.5 and iron 105 and thus, iron conducts heat 200 times better than wood. Concrete’s conductivity is three to four times larger than wood’s. As was explained, wood flooring does not conduct heat away from your skin, however, other materials especially concrete abruptly drops its temperature and that affects our legs and knees to get tired of. This fact shows that the wood has good moisture retaining and heat insulation properties and is good material for building a house. (Fig. 1)

Wood is a natural air conditioning (cool in summer, warm in winter)

Rice in a wooden container (ohitsu) keeps its good taste because the wooden container absorbs excess steam and the wood makes up for the lack of water. Wood has a moisture adjustment function by absorbing moisture and compensate water. When wood is used to flooring, walls, and ceilings, it automatically adjusts the moisture and keeps it to be comfortable for us. This moisture adjustment function is best for Japan with high humidity level and also prevents moisture from condensation. (Fig. 2)

Wood is natural sunglasses

Human eyes are the most sensitive body part and thus, when eyes get tired, gradually whole the body gets tired. Human eyes do not like bright light even in a room but prefers calm light. Light reflection ratio of about 50 to 60% is most appropriate for human eyes. The most appropriate reflections are from Hinoki and tatami (straw mat) and then, cedar and shoji (paper screen). In addition, wood absorbs ultraviolet ray that is harmful to eyes the most among other materials. Mellow light reflected from wood may make our feelings mild and soft. (Fig. 3)

Forest bath in a room

- Wood reduces our stresses and makes us healthy-
We feel fresh in the forest. This is because trees give off “phytoncide”, a substance that has a bactericidal action. This “phytoncide effects” lasts after the tree was cut from the earth. For example, mosquitos don’t stay in the house made of Hiba, Hinoki has a sedative and antitussive effects, cedar stimulates cerebrum and activates brain. In addition, an experiment using phytoncide showed blood pressure drop and pulse became calm. Accordingly, if we live in a place with wood, we don’t get stress and can live a healthy life. (Fig. 4)

Preventing Global warming.

Wood absorbs and fixes carbon dioxide in atmosphere to prevent global warming. That is,using carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere and water sucked up from the roots as raw materials, wood makes sugar with solar energy and chlorophyll work (photosynthesis) and releases oxygen. Trees grow using carbon dioxide as basic ingredient. So half of the weight of a tree is carbon. As the young trees grow faster, the amount of carbon fixation increases year by year. However, when trees become old, the amount of carbon fixation becomes nearly 0. In an artificial forest, the annual amount of carbon fixation becomes very large, so that trees are cut when they are old enough not to be able to fix carbon anymore and then plant young trees after the old ones are gone. Using this cycle can keep the amount of carbon fixation in a high level and the forest stays young all the time.

Number of lumbers needed to absorb enough amount of carbon dioxide (in a year)

Houses made of wood are “another forest”.

Wood pieces store much carbon and by lumbering such wood pieces and use them as part of building material, carbon still remains. In a sense, wood pieces are “can of carbon”. For example, a house made of wood of an area of 136m² is using 4m² of wood and thus, carbon dioxide stored in those wood is around 6 tons. On the other hand, the reinforced concrete house ( RC condominium) and steel prefabricated housing unit have less wood and thus the stored amount of carbon is approximately 1.5 tons, 1/4 of houses made from woods. In Japan, total carbon stored in the building materials of houses is about 1410 million tons and among them, houses made of wood store 1290 million tons. This number is calculated as an equivalent of 18% of total carbon stored in Japan’s all forests. That is, there is another forest in a city.