On December 18-20 2017, the 12th Joint Seminar of China-Korea-Japan on Wood Quality and Utilization of Domestic Species (CKJ Seminar) was held at Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. The aim of this seminar series, initiated in 2006, was to provide a platform for researchers to meet and exchange the latest research results related to the wood quality and utilization of domestic species. Around 80 researchers from different institutes, universities, and companies joined this seminar. On the last day, most of the participants went on a technical tour that included a Japanese sake brewery and a Kitayama sugi (local Cryptomeria japonica) forest site, and experienced the essence of Japanese traditions. We believe that through this seminar wood researchers share the importance of technological advancements on their daily research, and how this improves our understanding of that impact. The 13th CKJ seminar will be held in Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China in 2018. We hope that the CKJ seminar will continue to be a good chance for all of us from Asian countries to understand wood in many aspects.