Chamaecyparis obtusa

Japanese cypress, also called hinoki cypress or hinoki is a species of false cypress in the cypress or Cupressaceae family and is native to central Japan, with highly valued old stands in areas such as the Kiso Valley near Nagoya. It is a slow growing tree, reaching up to 35 m tall.

In addition to being developed into many widely-used cultivars for gardening, it is one of several highly-prized species used in temple building in many of Japan's over 20,000 temples.

The wood is scented, and is highly valued in Japan, along with sawara cypress, for many things such as components of traditional 'ofuro' (old wooden bathing tubs), 'tokobashira' (decorative posts) and building components in expensive houses. A house made of hinoki – now that is very special.

• Leaves are evergreen, scale-like, 2—4 mm long, blunt-tipped, with a white stomatal band at the base of each scale, forming a distinct 'x' shape pattern on the underside. The related sawara cypress (C. pisifera) can be readily distinguished in its having pointed tips to the leaves and smaller cones.
• Species is monoecious. Males are 3 mm long reddish brown terminal cones; mature female cones are globose (round), 8—12 mm in diameter, are on short 1-1.5 cm long stocks, orange-brown, with 8—12 scales arranged in opposite pairs.
• Bark has long ridges with reddish brown furrows, peels in long, narrow strips.