Japanese cypress wood cutting board

At a glance

- Tono Hinoki (東濃ひのき) Japanese cypress; straight grain, natural anti-bacterial
- Curated by Kyoto Katsugu of Nishiki Market, Kyoto
- Available in Small, Medium and Large; kind to knife edges

Pick up a hinoki cutting board when it is wet and you will smell it immediately: a clean, faintly resinous cedar scent that is one of the most particular pleasures of a Japanese kitchen.

Kyoto Katsugu (京都活具) is a specialist kitchenware shop established in 1950 in Kyoto's Nishiki Market, the 400-year-old arcade known as Kyoto's Kitchen. Rather than manufacturing directly, Katsugu curates and commissions tools from the city's network of blacksmiths, woodworkers and fibre craftsmen, selecting each item for balance, durability and everyday practicality. This board is made from Tono Hinoki, a high-grade Japanese cypress grown in the Urakiso region of Gifu Prefecture, valued for its straight, even grain and natural anti-bacterial properties. Hinoki is moderately hard, which means it is kind to knife edges: the blade meets the wood cleanly and stays sharper for longer compared with harder boards. The board is cut thin relative to its size, making it easy to lift, drain and dry after use.

Available in three sizes. Oil occasionally with food-safe oil, dry standing upright, avoid prolonged soaking.