4.8-sun Go Floor Board – Kyushu Kaya, Single-piece, Flat-grain cut (back face)

About the Wood

This board is made from a single plank of kaya grown in Kyushu. Kaya has been used for Go boards for centuries, valued for its moderate elasticity and the sound it produces when stones are placed. This board is 4.8 sun thick.

About the Construction

This is a single-plank board, cut directly from one log without lamination. The natural character of the wood appears as it is across the entire surface.

About the Wood Grain

This board is cut in itame — flat grain — using the outer face of the log, known as the back face. Flat-grain boards show more movement and natural expression than straight-grain boards. The back face has growth rings that face outward, and over time the surface gradually tightens with use.

Grain Density and Aging

The grain across this board is fine throughout — a sign of slow, steady growth. The color is a calm yellow tone. With use, kaya deepens gradually toward amber, and this board’s yellow base will move through that change in an unhurried way.

About the Knots

There are leaf knots on the playing surface and at the ends of the board. Leaf knots are natural marks left by branch bases as the tree grew. They are visible now, but as the whole surface changes with use over the years, the contrast with the surrounding wood will quietly fade. It is a natural material — something is always there.

About the Legs

The legs are carved by hand in the shape of a gardenia fruit. The gardenia in Japanese is kuchinashi — meaning “no mouth.” The shape carries a quiet message: that when two players face each other across the board, no one else should speak. Few craftsmen in Japan still carve these legs by hand.

Choosing This Board

Fine grain and a calm yellow tone. For those who can accept the leaf knots on the surface and ends, this board offers real density and substance at its thickness. The knots are marks the tree carried through its life — and with time, they settle naturally into the board’s overall character.

Each board is one of a kind.
Please contact us before placing an order to confirm availability.
For orders shipped outside Japan, customs duties or local taxes may be charged upon delivery depending on the destination country.