Tokyo's Wooden Cutting Board Created with Tokyo Chainsaws

TOPICS

• TOPICS 01The inspiration for making cutting boards and about Tokyo Chainsaws
• TOPICS 02Visiting the forests of Hinohara Village
• TOPICS 03Let's make a cutting board
• TOPICS 04Connecting the forests and people that support Japanese food culture
• TOPICS 05Product introduction

TOPICS 01The Inspiration Behind Making the Cutting Board and About Tokyo Chainsaws

This is a stump of a Kaya tree that has lived for over 200 years as a sacred tree at a shrine in Tokyo. Due to the risk of falling from an adjacent cedar tree, it was scheduled to be cut down. Upon receiving this news, Tokyo Chainsaws confirmed the log on-site and found that it was a rare Kaya tree, suitable for high-quality straight-grain wood for cutting boards. This led them to reach out to KAMA-ASA with the idea of utilizing this wood as kitchen tools. ※Straight-grain wood: Wood cut radially from the center of the log. Compared to flat-sawn wood cut along the growth rings at an offset position, it is less prone to warping, shrinking, or deforming.

Tokyo Chainsaws is a forestry company based in Hinohara Village, Tokyo, engaged in forest management, manufacturing and selling wooden products, and utilizing forest spaces. They view forestry as a job that connects forests and living, delivering the value of forests to the city through diverse initiatives, and creating sustainable and beautiful forests for future generations.

"I will probably never harvest the trees I planted." This is a memorable phrase I heard from Naoki Yoshida of Tokyo Chainsaws while he guided us through the forests of Hinohara Village. The trees being cut down now were planted and nurtured by someone about 70 years ago. Therefore, when we cut down trees, we must plant new ones. When we plant, we must nurture them. Connecting this cycle to the next generation is essential for maintaining healthy forests and is linked to our lives through water and air. I learned that forestry is about facing the forest over a long time that does not conclude with just our generation, but rather connects to the next generation.

TOPICS 02Visiting the Forest of Hinohara Village

Hinohara Village, where Tokyo Chainsaws operates, is located on the westernmost side of Tokyo and is the only village in Tokyo excluding the island regions. Approximately 93% of its area is covered by forests. It takes about 30 minutes by car from the nearest Musashi-Ikuta Station. As you proceed, the buildings decrease, and you gradually become surrounded by greenery, with deeper mountains.

Upon entering the forest managed by Tokyo Chainsaws, the sound of birds became the background music, and I strongly felt the humidity and earthy scent after the rain. The first thing I learned there was that even forests that appear to be the same green have differences. The slightly brighter green indicates a natural forest primarily composed of broadleaf trees. In contrast, many of the darker green areas are artificial forests planted with cedar and cypress. Before the war, broadleaf trees were used as fuel for firewood and charcoal, but after the war, faster-growing and straighter cedar and cypress were planted for construction materials. However, trees cannot be used immediately after planting. During periods of high wood demand, the trees planted after the war were not yet sufficiently grown, leading to an increase in imported wood. Later, when the trees had grown large, the demand for wood had settled, leaving many poorly maintained artificial forests behind.

To maintain the forest, human intervention is necessary. For example, the approximately 80-year-old cedar tree we saw in the forest could not be thinned at the right time, preventing it from receiving enough sunlight, causing it to stretch upwards in search of light, resulting in a thin trunk for its age. "Creating a forest involves not just planting trees, but also nurturing, cutting, and using them," I heard in the forest, and my perception of the trees before me changed significantly.

In the forest, I also saw cedar seeds and seedlings that had germinated for about 1-2 years. They were very small compared to the surrounding trees, and I could visually grasp the enormous time it takes for them to become usable wood. The wooden kitchen tools we sell carry this time with them. It's not just about time. There are challenges in managing trees on steep slopes, as well as damage from deer and serows. The reality is that the number of people involved in forestry is decreasing. I thought that selling products made from trees that have been nurtured with great time and effort plays an important role in connecting people with forests and forestry.

TOPICS 03Now, let's make the cutting board

This is the Kaya wood before it becomes a cutting board. It has been carefully dried and is in a suitable condition for cutting boards. When I saw it in front of me, I was first surprised by its width. The fact that such width can be obtained gives an idea of how large the original tree was. The surface bears various marks unique to a tree that has lived for a long time. There are color changes due to rainwater and small holes that suggest the presence of insects, as well as knots where branches once grew. Even within a single tree, the color and expression can vary depending on where it grew and how it was exposed to sunlight, and some reasons for these variations are not fully understood.

What we focused on this time is the "single piece" cutting board made from a single tree that has grown large over approximately 200 years. In reality, the parts from which large sizes can be cut are limited, and this rarity was discussed multiple times during our meetings. On the other hand, if we only select natural wood based on uniform appearance, usable parts would go to waste. Therefore, during our meetings, we checked each piece in person to determine "how far we can go while still using it as kitchen tools" regarding color variations and small marks. Items that have unique appearances but do not pose any issues for use will be delivered as products with clear explanations of their reasons. Conversely, parts that could affect usability or quality, such as holes where ingredients could get trapped, will not be used. We will create a cutting board while valuing both the efficient use of wood and its proper functionality as kitchen tools.

Tokyo Chainsaws has a workshop for processing wood. When deciding on the detailed specifications of the cutting board, we also visited the workshop and confirmed together which parts to utilize, which to avoid, and how to finish it while surrounding the actual wood. The surface is treated with a specialized planer to achieve a very thin finish, known as "super finishing."

By shaving the surface very thinly, we can preserve the wood's vessels and cells as much as possible, resulting in a neatly trimmed surface. Not only does the surface become smooth, but it also becomes more water-repellent.

As I observed each piece of wood on-site, it became clear that even the same Kaya tree has unique colors, grain patterns, and marks, with no two pieces being identical. How to maximize the individuality of the wood and how to finish it as kitchen tools. It is not just about the quality of the wood itself; it is also about the work of the person who assesses and processes it, which ultimately leads to the creation of a single cutting board. I felt this through the discussions we had this time.

TOPICS 04Connecting the Forests and People Supporting Japan's Food Culture

Good tools have good reasons. The "good reason tools" that KAMA-ASA envisions are kitchen tools that possess good reasons, including not only ease of use but also the materials, the makers, and the background from which the tools are born.

Forests nurture pure water and abundant ingredients, supporting Japan's food culture since ancient times. The trees that grow in the forest have also been used as essential materials for kitchen tools, including cutting boards, in our daily lives. It takes a long time for trees to grow and become usable as tools. Therefore, considering the present state of the forest is also about thinking of future kitchen tools. And it is about passing on the food culture that these tools have supported to the next generation.

Transforming wood born from Tokyo's forests into kitchen tools and delivering them from KAMA-ASA in Kappabashi, Tokyo, to the users. The people who grow the trees in the forest, those who create kitchen tools, and those who use them in daily cooking. We believe that creating these connections is one of the things we can do.

TOPICS 05Product Introduction

Meeting wood is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The wood that comes from the forest varies in species and size at different times. This time, we encountered a single Kaya tree that has grown large over approximately 200 years.

This is a "single piece" cutting board that could only be made from this Kaya. Especially, the parts from which large sizes can be cut are limited, and we could only produce 15 pieces. Once the material runs out, it is not guaranteed that we can create the same cutting board again. The wood born from the forest will become kitchen tools suited to that wood. This Kaya cutting board is a unique "Tokyo's Wooden Cutting Board" born from the encounter with this single tree.

<Features of Kaya> 1. Gentle on knives with a pleasant cutting feel. It has moderate elasticity and hardness, allowing for smooth cutting while minimizing stress on the knife edge. The texture when chopping is light, and the low sound when the blade hits is pleasant. 2. Resistant to scratches and water. Its flexible fiber structure has resilience, making it difficult for knife cuts to remain. Additionally, it contains natural oils, providing antibacterial and water-resistant properties. 3. Mild aroma that does not interfere with ingredients. Its gentle scent makes it easy to use with various ingredients such as meat, fish, and vegetables in daily cooking. <Product Specifications> Material: Kaya Size: Small 30cm width × 20cm depth × 3cm thickness, Large 40cm width × 25cm depth × 3cm thickness Price (tax included): Small 9,900 yen, Large 33,000 yen Retailer: KAMA-ASA Kappabashi Store Limited Release Date: October 13, 2026
At KAMA-ASA Kappabashi Store, we also offer various cutting boards besides Kaya. Each cutting board has different weights, aromas, ease of care, and how they interact with knives. Please feel free to touch the actual cutting boards in-store and find the one that suits your cooking and lifestyle. Our staff will provide detailed guidance.

KAMA-ASA STAFF Mitsuyo Kano

After working at a miso manufacturer, I joined KAMA-ASA in 2025. While raising two children, I provide customer service in the kitchen utensils section. My specialty dish is tonjiru, and my hobby is making bread using sourdough.