Wazai Wood Grip - Ogasawara Mulberry

Wood species: Ogasawara Kuwa (Ogasawara Mulberry / Morus boninensis)

An endemic species of the Ogasawara Islands, classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, with a remaining wild population estimated at fewer than 170 individuals. A deciduous tree reaching 8–15 meters in height with a long lifespan; large specimens can exceed one meter in diameter. The exceptional beauty of its grain led to large-scale felling during the Meiji era, and by the early Showa period its numbers had already declined sharply.

Today, felling is prohibited. Very occasionally, fallen trees buried in the ground, driftwood, or pieces preserved in private homes come onto the market — but with the Ogasawara Islands now designated a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, sourcing this wood is expected to become even more difficult in future.

Exceptionally dense and strong, the wood reacts with tannins in the soil during burial, transforming its color from yellowish-brown to jet black — a strikingly beautiful material with a unique, deep tonality.