Relationship with sake
Yoshino wood is “a straight-grained wood with few knots and dense annual rings,” properties that prevent liquids from leaking out. For this reason, it has been widely used for making sake barrels since the 1700s. High-quality sake from the Kamigata region (modern day Kyoto-Osaka area) was stored in Yoshino cedar sake barrels to be transported by ship to Edo (modern day Tokyo). During the storage, the scent of cedar wood would seep into the sake, giving it a unique scent and taste, which was particularly appreciated by the residents of Edo.