Nanten is a shrub whose red berries can be seen everywhere in satoyama and is considered a good luck charm. Because they reproduce vigorously by underground stems, overcrowded nanten need to be groomed. When nanten is harvested with a sickle or saw, one can see that cambium layer is bright yellow. It is a very shimmering plant that bears many bright red berries and its trunk is bright yellow, sometimes clothed in greenish-blue moss. As a timber, it is challenging to use because the diameter of each tree does not get very thick. However, it has hardness and tenacity, giving the impression that it is quite strong for its thin appearance. Although it seems to grow straight if it is cared for, nanten trees seen in the mountains have various shapes, such as being entangled in vines, breaking off in the middle and changing direction, or branching out into two branches.