Wild Incense + High Functionality - HIBA
Japan is a mountainous country.
With about 70% of its land covered with mountains, Japan is one of the countries blessed with the forests .
There are many tree species grown on the mountains. However, most of the materials being used around the country are imported timbers. Despite having a self-sufficient rate of 90% in the 1950s, at the moment, only about 20% of the timbers being used in Japan are self-supply. From such environment, Cul de Sac brought its products made from the Aomori Hiba to the market, hoping these products could contribute to improving the current forestry situation.
The Aomori Hiba is one of the three most important tree species in Japan. The other two tree species are the Kiso Hinoki (a species of cypress) and the Akita Sugi (a species of red-cedar). Enduring the harsh cold wind in Northern Japan, the Aomori Hiba grows slowly. In addition to its exquisite bark, the tree has a strong endurance against corrosion and is an excellent building material. As the Aomori Hiba also has high antibacterial and insect-repelling properties, its timber is also used for building shrines and temples. Historical architectures such as the Chūsonji Konjikidō in Iwate Prefecture, the Hirosaki Castle, the Iwakiyama Jinja Rōmon, and the Osamu Dazai Memorial Museum use this timber to withstand the flow of time and remains until today. In 2013, the Shikinen Sengū at Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture also employed this timber.
Chemical substances such as the Hinokitiol and β-Dolabrin include in the Hiba contain antibacterial, insect-repelling, deodorising, and relaxing effects. There are rarely any tree species on the world which contain these substances. In Japan, these substances are the distinct features found only in the Hiba. Cul de Sac mainly manufactures these woods into timbers for use as building materials, reuse trees which are previously unusable, and puts efforts into creating sustainable environments and products.
Wild Incense + High Functional
Customers often exclaim that smelling the Aomori Hiba’s fragrance is like “breathing air in the forests.” The fragrance coming from the Aomori Hiba stimulates our five senses and awakens our instincts. At Cul de Sac, we aim to expand the possibilities given by the relaxation effects from natural materials and to bring products with excellent usability.
While being conscious about the sustainability in each process of our product manufacturing without wasting, we will bring out the full potentials in the Hiba, a material used since ancient times, and bring products that match the contemporary lifestyle to the hands of our customers.
Text and Photos: Cul de Sac
