A wild growing tree found all over Japan, the antimicrobial effects of Kuromoji saw it used traditionally as the raw material in the manufacture of high-grade toothpicks. With a woody, peppery, freshly cut fragrance, even a little bit of this essential oil goes a long way. Our Kuromoji oil is produced from wood branches harvested right here in Japan as part of a government program to keep the mountainsides beautiful. The Kuromoji oil is extracted from the wood via steam distillation.