To clarify the physiological characteristics of the new variety ON206, external factors affecting the nutritional growth of mycelia were investigated, particularly focusing on the initial pH, nutrient composition, and effect of light on mycelium. The optimum initial pH was 5.6, and growth was possible in a wide range of pH, from 4.0 to 8.9. As a carbon source, soluble starch showed the best growth, and the maximum mycelial volume was observed at a concentration of 15.0%. As a nitrogen source, yeast extract showed the best growth, with an optimum concentration of 2.0%. Organic nitrogen tended to be more effective for mycelial growth than inorganic nitrogen. Light affected mycelial growth of ON206. In particular, blue light tended to suppress mycelial growth and increase mycelial density. This study established the basic culture characteristics of the new variety ON206 and its nutrient requirements and photosensitivity tended to be similar to the mother strain, Pleurotus nebrodensis.

Using sugi (Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica) nominal size of 210, various Young's modulus against the Japanese agricultural standards for structural lumber and finger-jointed structural lumber for wood frame construction (JAS 0600), and bending strength were examined. The Young's modulus of the sugi nominal size of 210 was roughly determined by measuring the Young's modulus of the log. The longitudinal vibration method and flexural vibration method can be substituted for the measurement of Young's modulus by the grading machine, which is the current method of quality control in machine stress-rated (MSR) framing lumber of JAS 0600. Edgewise bending test results indicated that most of the specimens were classified as select structural grade of the A class, and that the majority of these specimens met the design strength criteria for select structural grade of the A class. When logs were sorted by Young's modulus by the longitudinal vibration method, MSR-grade was high enough to be used as horizontal structural members, proving the effectiveness of log sorting.

The recent global pandemic of the COVID-19 infection has caused significant impacts on the improvement of living environments. When utilizing Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) as building materials (such as interior finishing materials or structural materials), various beneficial effects are known to be exhibited based on the physical and chemical properties of the wood. However, existing Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) pertaining to C. japonica have primarily focused on regulating the quality of wood surfaces and preservation treatments, lacking specific methods for analyzing the terpene content, which is essential when discussing the wood's good functionalities for human such as enhancing immune system function and promoting physiological relaxation. Therefore, we positioned the standardization of analytical methods for functional components derived from C. japonica as an effective means to enhance the added value. In this study, we established a JAS-compliant analytical method for functional component analysis of C. japonica wood using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Activated carbon made from Japanese ceder (Cryptomeria japonica) was processed into samples with different yields by changing the activation conditions, and electric double layer capacitors were manufactured using the activated carbon. It was found that specific surface area, micropore volume and mesopore volume increases with decreasing carbon yield. Moreover, each coefficient of determination showed a high value. The micropore and mesopore volume plots of activated carbon move to the region of larger pores and the pores of around 0.6 to 0.7 nm can be related to the initial value of the capacitance. In addition, compared with commercial activated carbon, there is a similar capacitance and low internal resistance in activated carbon from Japanese ceder, which is analyzed by durable examination.