September 11th 2022
The Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtuse) is a species of cypress native to central Japan (the Japanese character is 檜). Hinoki is a slow growing tree with dark red-brown peeling bark and deep green needles that grows up to 35m tall, producing a beautiful golden coloured wood with a slightly smoky citrusy smell. It is slow growing due to the cold climate in which it thrives, but this results in it producing very strong wood. Since the 8th Century it has been used to make statues of the Buddha and to build shrines. The Ise Jingu Shrine, Japan’s most important Shinto shrine is built (and rebuilt every twenty years as a symbol of religious renewal) with Hinoki wood. Its excellent wood properties, beautiful texture and characteristic fragrance also make it a popular choice for domestic house construction, furniture, traditional Japanese bathtubs (rotenburo) and other everyday items. The smell of Hinoki wood therefore has a special meaning for many Japanese people due to its use in constructing significant buildings and artifacts.
Historically, during the Edo period (between 1603 and 1867), the Hinoki was one of Five Sacred Trees of Kiso, or the Kiso Goboku, that were only allowed to be cut down to build houses and temples for the most powerful families. The punishment for transgressors was ‘one head for one tree’ (decapitation).
Hinoki and Phytoncides
Phytoncides are the natural oils within trees and plants and are part of their defence system, as they can release the phytoncides to protect themselves from bacteria, insects and fungi. The main components of phytoncides are terpenes, and these are what you can smell in the essential oils made from trees high in Phytoncides. Some of the benefits of being out in nature amongst trees can therefore be brought indoors when necessary.
Hinoki oil has been shown to contain the major terpenes:
α-pinene, one of the most common terpenes in nature with a fresh, piney smell
β-pinene, a terpene with a more herb-like smell
D-limonene, a citrusy, lemony smelling terpene
Camphene, a resinous smell a little like turpentine
The phytoncides in Hinoki oil have a wide range of benefits for human health, from promoting relaxation and calming the autonomic nervous system, to helping build immune system functioning.
Hinoki and Immune System Functioning
One of the ways that the functioning of the immune system is measured is by looking at the activity of natural killer (NK) cells. Natural killer cells are a type of white blood cell designed to attack and kill unwanted cells, for example, those infected with a virus, or tumour cells. They do this with the help of special proteins that create holes in cell membranes and this causes the death of the target cells.
In a study by the famous Forest Medicine pioneer Qing Li, described in his book Into the Forest, he took twelve healthy men to stay in a Tokyo hotel for three nights and diffused Hinoki oil in their rooms overnight. The men all went to bed at 11 p.m. and worked as usual during the day, but to ensure that there were no extraneous factors, physical activity was limited during the study to the distance they walked on an average working day, and the concentration of phytoncides in the air in the hotel bedrooms was also measured. Blood samples were taken on the last day and urine samples analysed every day for the duration of the trial. Results showed that exposure to the phytoncides from the Hinoki oil:
Significantly increased the numbers of NK cells and NK activity
Significantly decreased the levels of stress hormones (concentrations of adrenaline and noradrenaline in urine was reduced)
Increased their length of sleep
Decreased the scores for tension & anxiety, anger & hostility and fatigue & confusion.
Other researchers have shown that phytoncides can:
Stimulate a more pleasant mood
Significantly lower blood pressure and heart rate
Increase heart-rate variability
Suppress sympathetic nervous activity and increase parasympathetic nervous activity, bringing your nervous system into balance and making you feel comfortable and relaxed
In fact, one study, at the Department of Psychiatry at Mie University in Japan, has shown that the citrus fragrance of the phytoncide D-limonene is more effective in some people than antidepressants for lifting mood and ensuring emotional well-being. However, research conducted by Yoshifumi Miyazaki and described in ‘Shinrin-yoku: The Japanese Way of Forest Bathing for Health and Relaxation’ has shown that inhaling the essential oils from both the wood and leaves of the Hinoki Cypres may only be effective if people enjoy the smell as the physiological effects were not as profound in people who did not like it.
Uses
There are a wide range of ways to use Hinoki oil including
Putting three or four drops into bathwater
Putting a couple of drops onto a terracotta disk
Use it in a diffuser (either electronic or a container with diffuser reeds in) diluted as recommended
Hinoki oil, as with all the evergreen essential oils, can be good when energy is flagging, helping fight fatigue, relieve tension and anxiety and improve concentration. It is especially good in the winter months when we need extra support for our immune systems. My office currently smells of Hinoki and Scots pine.
10 ml of Therapeutic Grade Hinoki Cypress Essential Oil in a dropper bottle.
Bring the calming scent of the Japanese forest into your home with Hinoki Oil. Distilled from the sacred Hinoki Cypress, this beautifully woody and citrus-fresh essential oil is inspired by the restorative practice of forest bathing and helps create moments of calm, mindfulness, and nature connection.
Hinoki Oil – Bringing the Essence of the Japanese Forest into Your Home
Imagine stepping into a quiet forest of ancient Japanese cypress trees. The air is cool and still. Sunlight filters through the canopy, and the scent of warm wood, fresh needles, and distant citrus fills your senses. This is the experience that Hinoki Oil can evoke.
Distilled from the revered Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), a tree that has been treasured in Japan for centuries, Hinoki Oil carries a distinctive aroma that is soft, woody, slightly smoky, and subtly citrusy. Its fragrance is often associated with traditional Japanese temples, forest shrines, and the restorative practice of forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku.
Many people find Hinoki's scent deeply calming and grounding. Rich in natural plant compounds known as phytoncides, it offers a simple way to bring a little of the forest indoors when spending time among trees is not possible.
Use a few drops in a diffuser during meditation, yoga, journalling, or quiet reflection. Add it to a warm bath to create a spa-like atmosphere, or simply inhale its aroma whenever you need a moment of stillness and reconnection.
At Forest Healing, we love Hinoki because it captures something of the quiet wisdom of old forests. Its scent invites us to slow down, breathe deeply, and remember that we are part of the natural world, not separate from it.
Ways to enjoy Hinoki Oil:
• Diffuse to create a peaceful, woodland-inspired atmosphere
• Add to a nature connection or mindfulness practice
• Blend with cedarwood, bergamot, frankincense, or lavender
• Use as part of an evening wind-down ritual
• Bring the scent of the forest into your home, workspace, or therapy room
A small bottle of Hinoki Oil offers more than a fragrance. It offers an invitation to pause, reconnect, and experience a little of the restorative spirit of the forest wherever you are.
Postage and Packing is £2 for up to six 10ml bottles in the UK.
Due to insurance and liability reasons, we no longer ship our essential oils to the USA or Canada - Sorry!
When therapeutic interactions move outside of the ‘consulting room’ and into nature, something interesting seems to happen. Nature can create a shared space where we walk alongside one another, notice the world together, and sometimes discover that healing becomes less about what one person does to another and more about how two people can explore things together.