What Yamacho Shoten does

Yamacho Shoten (株式会社 山長商店) is a Japanese forestry and lumber company founded in 1759 (current corporation since 1952), headquartered in the Wakayama/Kishu region and family-controlled under the Enomoto family, with Chairman Enomoto Choji serving since 1996. It owns and manages approximately 6,000 hectares of company forest producing Kishu Yoshino cedar (杉) and cypress (檜), and operates a vertically integrated value chain from upstream forestry through sawmilling, drying, grading, surface treatment, and structural design for downstream construction use.

Its core products are JAS-certified structural timber and engineered wood products — including sawn lumber, glued laminated timber (glulam), CLT, and board materials — plus surface-finished and fire-retardant treated lumber handled by group company MOCK Inc. (Yamacho Mokuzai Kogyo). The processing backbone is the YSS (YAMACHO SMART SAWMILL) established in 2021 with roughly 15,000 m³ of annual capacity, complemented by drying, preservation treatment, and the in-house Moku First Structural Design Office (added July 2024) that produces structural designs incorporating certified Yamacho timber.

The business model is B2B wholesale of certified, traceable Japanese cedar and cypress to roughly 200+ partner construction companies, public-sector wood-building projects (schools, shrines, civic facilities), and now non-residential frameworks via the WH Frame System partnership with WoodHub LLC, with visibility boosted by a flagship EXPO 2025 collaboration with architect Teshima Shigeru. Revenue mechanics combine per-cubic-meter lumber sales, premium pricing for JAS-certified and provenance-branded Kishu grades, project-based structural design fees, and group-level services across surface finishing (MOCK), quarrying (Kinan Saiseki Kogyo), and forestry operations (Yamacho Ringyo). No financials, headcount, or pricing are disclosed; the company relies on its 266-year brand heritage, 2021 Emperor's Cup-equivalent industrial award, and certification leadership to justify premium positioning over commodity imported lumber.

Name

Yamacho Shoten

Legal name

株式会社山長商店

Website

https://yamacho-net.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yamacho Shoten is a vertically integrated Japanese forestry and lumber company (founded 1759) that grows Kishu cedar and cypress on ~6,000 hectares of company forest, mills them at its YSS smart sawmill, and supplies JAS-certified structural timber and engineered wood products to Japanese builders, developers, and public-sector construction projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Lumber and Building Materials

NAICS

Wood Product Manufacturing (321), Timber Tract Operations (11311), Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing (321912)

SIC

Sawmills & Planting Mills, General (2421), Forestry (800), Wholesale-Lumber, Plywood, Millwork & Wood Panels (5031)

akta.pro primary industry

Sawmilling & Lumber Production (IMADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Timberland Operations Planning & Contractor Management (AFAMAKAE), Wood Remanufacturing (Mouldings, Millwork Blanks, Cut Stock) (IMAMABAI)

Keywords

• Structural lumber products
• JAS-certified timber
• Wood building materials
• Precut processing services
• Domestic cedar cypress

Headquarters

HQ city

Shincho

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Timber Manufacturing and Sales: Production and sales of Kishu cedar and cypress lumber products. Main products include structural materials, columns, beams, and other processed lumber. Revenue generated from direct sales of JAS-certified lumber to construction companies and builders.
2. Precut Processing: CNC precut processing services for building construction. Includes metal hardware joining methods for solid wood, finishing services, and custom加工. Revenue generated from processing fees added to lumber sales.
3. Building Materials Distribution (via MOCK): Group company MOCK Inc. handles building materials sales distribution across Japan, providing logistics and sales network for Yamacho products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Yamacho Shoten produces and sells JAS-certified structural lumber and building materials from Kishu cedar (sugi) and cypress (hinoki) sourced from approximately 6,000 hectares of company-owned forests. The company operates a vertically integrated production system spanning afforestation, harvesting, sawing, high-temperature vacuum drying, mechanical grading, and CNC precut processing. Its offerings target construction companies, builders, and public/non-residential building projects requiring traceable, high-strength domestic structural timber.

Product overview

Yamacho Shoten is a Japanese lumber company offering high-quality Kishuu (Wakayama Prefecture) timber and cedar products through an integrated production system from afforestation to precut processing. The core product portfolio includes Kishuu Wood (紀州材) and Sugi Hirakaku (杉平角材), the first domestically produced JAS-certified cedar flat-square timber. Services include precut processing (山長のプレカット) combining CAD/CAM operations with skilled craftsmen, the YSS (YAMACHO SMART SAWMILL) specialized sawmill facility, CAD operation room services, and termite prevention treatment. The company also offers technical partnerships for structural design and operates group companies including Muku First Structural Design Office and Mock Corporation. Recent offerings include the WH Frame System for non-residential construction. Products are available through online shop and distribution network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YSS（YAMACHO SMART SAWMILL）: スギ平割専門の製材工場。2021年に新設され、間柱を主力製品とする無垢材工場として年間15,000立方メートルの原木消費能力を誇り，国内初となる板材でのJAS認定（MSR機械等級区分構造用製材タイプA）を取得。

Products and services

• Kishu Wood (紀州材) High-quality lumber products sourced from Wakayama Prefecture forests, featuring exceptional strength properties with Japanese Cedar (Sugi) and Japanese Cypress (Hinoki) as primary species. Product range includes structural timbers, columns, and beams with JAS certification. Sold to construction companies and builders.
• Sugi Hirakaku (杉平角材) - Cedar Flat-Square Timber Flat-square timber made from Kishu Cedar, the first domestically produced JAS-certified cedar flat-square timber in Japan. Offers superior strength compared to imported materials like Douglas fir, suitable for beam applications in wooden construction.
• Yamacho Precut (山長のプレカット) Precision pre-cut wood processing services including machining of structural timber, hardware joinery for solid wood, and finishing work. Combines automated CNC processing with skilled craftsmen hand-finishing for complex joinery work. Also includes habera timber processing and plywood processing.
• YSS (YAMACHO SMART SAWMILL) Specialized cedar flat-cut sawmill factory with annual raw log consumption capacity of 15,000 m³. First in Japan to obtain board material JAS certification using MSR (Machine Stress Rating) measurement for mechanical grade classification structural lumber Type A. Operates as a two-shift production facility producing pillar-focused products.
• Wood Life Consultation (木の家で暮らす) / Wooden Housing Advisory Service Consultation and advisory services for wooden house construction, including guidance on wood selection, termite prevention treatment, and comparison between wooden and steel-frame construction methods. Targeted at individual home builders seeking domestic wood.
• CAD Operation Room (CADオペレーション室) CAD data processing service for precut machining, where specialized staff input processing data for various precut machines using state-of-the-art CAD systems to support contractor cutting operations.
• Wood Termite Prevention Treatment (木材防蟻処理) Termite and decay prevention treatment services using boric acid-based preservatives, recommended as optimal solution for wooden structures in Japan. Available in partnership with Japan Borate Co., Ltd.
• Muku First Structural Design Office (ムクファースト構造設計事務所) Structural engineering design office established as Yamacho Group company, providing specialized structural design services for solid wood construction with visible strength specifications to address industry needs for strength verification and performance certification.
• WH Frame System (WHフレームシステム) Frame system for medium-scale single-story non-residential wooden buildings, achieving 8-13m spans without large-section engineered lumber through unique structural design, developed jointly with WoodHub LLC. Displayed at Japan Borate co-exhibition at BREX 2026.
• Original Wood Products - Tsuniku Blocks & UFUFU Bath Mat (オリジナル商品) Original wood merchandise products including Tsuniku wooden building blocks and UFUFU bath mats, developed through partnerships and recognized with Premium Wakayama certification. Sold via online shop and recognized with Wood Design Award 2021 Tsunatsun Championship category.
• Yamacho Online Shop (yamacho.official.ec) E-commerce platform for purchasing Yamacho wood products and original merchandise directly, serving individual consumers and small builders nationwide.
• Integrated Production System (一貫生産体制) Complete integrated production from afforestation (approximately 6,000 hectares of company forests) through forestry, logging, sawing, drying, finishing, quality inspection, sorting, and precut processing for Kishu-grown cedar and cypress aged 50-100 years. The end-to-end in-house production system forms the foundation of Yamacho's quality and traceability claims.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and supporting.

• Japan Borate Co., Ltd. (日本ボレイト株式会社)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026Joint exhibition at BREX 2026 Housing Business Fair. Presented WH Frame System for medium-scale non-residential wooden construction.
• Teshima Architecture Office (手嶋保 建築事務所)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2025Provided Kishu hinoki materials for the 'Flames and Regeneration' sculpture at the U.S. Pavilion during EXPO 2025 Osaka-Kansai. Custom craftsmanship with traditional Japanese joinery techniques.
• Moku First Structural Design Office (ムクファースト構造設計事務所)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 July 2024Group company established to provide structural design services for solid wood construction. Addresses industry needs for strength visibility and performance certification in response to building code changes.
• Tahara Architecture Design Office (木構造建築研究所 田原)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical partnership with Japan's leading wood structure research expert Tahara Ken for structural design support. Provides customers with access to high-quality structural design services for wooden construction through this partnership.
• OAI Innovation Co., Ltd. (オーアイ・イノベーション株式会社)supportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for wood drying technology. Reference partner for company's advanced drying techniques.
• MOCK Inc. (モック株式会社)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGroup company handling building materials sales and distribution. Based in Saitama, provides nationwide distribution network for Yamacho products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sumitomo Forestry: Japan's largest integrated forestry and housing company, operating owned forests, sawmills, and custom-built homes. Comparable as a vertically integrated domestic timber supplier but operates at vastly larger scale and includes downstream homebuilding.
• Daiwa House Industry: Japan's largest homebuilder with significant timber procurement operations. Comparable as a major Japanese buyer of domestic lumber and operator of wooden construction, though primarily a downstream homebuilder rather than upstream supplier.
• Hokuetsu Corporation: Japanese pulp, paper, and forest products company with significant owned forest assets. Comparable in forest resource ownership and wood products manufacturing, though primarily focused on pulp/paper rather than sawn lumber.
• Oji Holdings: Major Japanese forest products conglomerate with extensive owned forests and diversified wood/paper product portfolio. Comparable as a large-scale Japanese forestry resource owner and wood product manufacturer, though much broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Wood One: Japanese wood products manufacturer specializing in flooring, interior materials, and lumber products with integrated manufacturing. Comparable in lumber/wood product focus, though larger and more diversified across flooring categories.
• Noda Corporation: Japanese wood product manufacturer (formerly Noda Plywood) producing plywood, structural lumber, and engineered wood products. Comparable as a domestic Japanese lumber/panel producer serving construction markets.
• Marudai Wood: Regional Japanese lumber company specializing in domestic timber processing and distribution. Comparable as a Japanese domestic lumber supplier, though lacks the integrated forest ownership and JAS certifications of Yamacho.

Emerging players

• WoodHub LLC: Japanese wooden construction technology firm and Yamacho's joint development partner for the WH Frame System. Comparable as a collaborator in non-residential wooden structural systems, providing adjacent technological capability.
• Taisei Corporation (Taisei Rotec Mokuzai): Mid-sized Japanese lumber trading and processing company focused on domestic timber distribution. Comparable in domestic lumber supply and precut/prefabrication services for construction, though smaller scale and less vertically integrated.

Others

• Tahara Structural Design Office: Japan's leading wood structure research and design firm, partnered with Yamacho for technical/structural design support. Comparable as an adjacent service provider in wooden construction engineering, and a key strategic partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@株式会社山長商店
• Facebookfacebook.com/yamacho.wood
• Instagraminstagram.com/yamacho_wood

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yamacho Shoten