A study of the effect of initial moisture content on the absorption of capillary water. Water uptake by capillary pressure was measured for the sapwood of five Japanese domestic species, for various initial moisture contents from green to 7% moisture content. Water uptake in sugi and hinoki was very low in the range 30-180% moisture content, but increased rapidly when moisture content fell below the fiber saturation point. Water uptake in dry wood (7% moisture content) was 2.5-5.5 times that at fiber saturation point. In akamatsu (<i>Pinus densiflora</i>) and yamazakura (<i>Prunus jamasakura</i>), water uptake increased more gradually with drying.