Slow-growing tree that grows to 100ft tall. Bark is dark red-brown. Leaves are scale-like, blunt tipped (obtuse), green above, and green below with a white stomatal band at the base of each scale-leaf. It is grown for its very high quality timber in Japan, where it is used as a material for building palaces, temples, shrines, and traditional theaters. The wood is lemon-scented, light pinkish-brown, with a rich, straight grain, and is highly rot-resistant. It is a popular ornamental tree in parks and gardens, both in Japan and elsewhere in temperate climates.