MANAITA - HINOKI -

Why professional chefs choose
a hinoki cutting board.

Japanese hinoki cypress has been used for centuries in temple architecture and fine bathtubs. Its appeal is not only the clean, refined scent, but the durability and natural antibacterial properties of the wood itself.

These are the qualities that make it right for a cutting board.

Gentle on the blade

Keeps your knife sharper for longer and takes the strain out of prep work.

Naturally antibacterial

Hinokitiol, a compound found naturally in hinoki, suppresses bacterial growth.

Durable and quick to dry

Resists warping and cracking, and stays hygienic over years of use.

The scent it brings

Its distinctive fresh scent makes the kitchen a more pleasant place to work. Grown in the forests of Japan, hinoki is trusted by professional chefs and home cooks alike. As the ideal wood for a cutting board, it brings both reassurance and a sense of occasion to customers around the world.

Selecting the wood

Japan's last remaining kobiki sawyer selects hinoki suited to the Hinoki Cutting Board from forests across the country. Because the quality of hinoki varies with where it grows, every log is checked thoroughly for damage and rot, and only timber that meets our own standard is used. We also work only with logs felled between October and April, when moisture content is at its lowest, which limits mould and cracking and raises both durability and quality.

Straight grain (masame) only

We use only masame — the part of the log where the grain runs perfectly straight.

Most cutting boards are cut as itame, where the grain runs in waves and curves. Masame has an even fibre structure, so it warps and cracks far less, and it feels better under the blade. For this reason straight-grained hinoki has long been the choice of sushi chefs and Japanese cooks, prized as the board that supports delicate knife work.

But masame of the depth the Hinoki Cutting Board requires can only come from a hinoki that has stood for more than a hundred years. By using nothing but that rare part of the log, we achieve the clean linear beauty, the durability, and the assured feel in the hand that tradition has refined over generations.

Drying

A board cut from the log cannot be finished into a Hinoki Cutting Board straight away.

It air-dries slowly in our own warehouse for around six months, followed by about a month of kiln drying. This draws out only the excess moisture while leaving intact the oils in the hinoki that give the wood its antibacterial properties.

Throughout drying we control humidity with dehumidifiers and circulate the air regularly to prevent warping, cracking and mould. Bringing the timber to its ideal condition under this level of quality control is what lets us deliver a board you can use with confidence for years.

Finished by hand

Every piece is finished by a skilled craftsman who checks the feel of the surface by hand. That hand finishing — something no machine can reproduce — is what gives each piece its comfortable feel and quiet beauty.

The proportions follow the golden ratio so the board sits naturally in the kitchen, and the four corners are softly rounded to make it easy to handle — beautiful from every angle.

Gifts for these moments

Chida Co., Ltd., founded 1892 (kitchen equipment retailer)

Mr. Chida, Executive Director

We have handled a great many cooking tools since we were founded, and the Hinoki Cutting Board stands out — the shape and the grain are genuinely beautiful. There is a lift in using it every day, and it is a board you grow attached to.

A knife and a board are tools you should think of as a pair, and choosing a board worthy of a good knife brings out the best in it. This one pairs beautifully with a knife — easy on the blade, easy on the arm. That is its appeal.