Fagus crenata, known as the
Japanese beech,
Siebold's beech, or
buna, is a
deciduous tree of the
beech genus,
Fagus, of the family
Fagaceae. It is native to
Japan where it is widespread and often one of the dominant trees of Japan's deciduous forests. It is found from the
Oshima Peninsula in
Hokkaido south to the
Osumi Peninsula in
Kyushu. In north-east
Honshu it grows in large stands from sea level up to 1400 metres but in the south-west of its range it is restricted to mountainous areas and occurs in small, isolated populations. It grows in well-drained,
loamy or sandy soils.