Japanese Camphor Wood, known as Kusunoki in Japan, comes from Cinnamomum camphora, an evergreen hardwood tree in the laurel family.

The species grows in warm regions of Japan and other parts of East Asia. Camphor trees can grow to impressive sizes, and some ancient specimens are preserved as sacred trees at Japanese shrines and temples.

The wood is recognized for its distinctive camphor-like aroma and has traditionally been used for furniture, storage chests, carving, and specialty wooden objects.

Camphor Wood ranges from relatively subtle grain to exceptionally decorative burl figure, offering different appearances for woodworking applications.

Common Names

Camphor / Camphor Laurel / Japanese Camphor Wood

Japanese Name

Kusunoki

Scientific Name

Cinnamomum camphora

Family

Lauraceae (Laurel Family)

Distribution

Japan and other parts of East Asia; cultivated elsewhere

Specific Gravity

Approximately 0.52 at 12% moisture content (reference value; varies by specimen)

Common Figures

Interlocked grain, wavy figure, and burl

Primary Uses

Furniture, carving, musical instrument components, decorative veneers, turning, and wooden boxes

Camphor Burl is a decorative wood figure associated with unusual, burl-like growth in the tree.

Unlike ordinary straight-grained lumber, burl wood can display highly irregular patterns, swirling grain, small eye-like markings, and complex natural color variations.

Pieces showing attractive golden tones and pronounced burl figure are sometimes marketed as Golden Camphor Burl.

Camphor trees can grow to substantial sizes, but pieces with strong burl figure, suitable dimensions, and sound material condition are not available from every tree.

Broad, highly figured pieces with usable surfaces can be particularly attractive for instrument decoration, specialty furniture, and fine woodworking.

At Maikai Wood Hawaii, we evaluate material according to its visual characteristics, figure, dimensions, and condition.

Camphor Wood is generally workable with conventional woodworking tools, but interlocked grain and burl figure can create additional machining challenges.

Changes in grain direction may cause tear-out, especially in highly figured sections. Sharp tools, controlled feed rates, and light cutting passes can help achieve a clean finish.

During drying, the risk of warping and checking depends on board thickness, grain orientation, initial moisture content, and drying conditions.

Camphor Wood contains natural aromatic compounds, and its drying behavior should be assessed according to the individual material rather than a fixed schedule.

Before precision instrument making or fine woodworking, check moisture content and dimensional stability. Allow the material to acclimate to the workshop environment.