Betula platyphylla, or the Japanese White Birch, is a tree species belonging to the genus Betula. It can be found in temperate or subarctic places of Asia: Japan, China, Korea, and Siberia. The Japanese White Birch can grow to be 20 m to 30 m tall.

This species has been divided into varieties or separate species (B. japonica, B. mandshurica, and B. szechuanica), A very important timber tree. The wood is soft and light, close grained, and fine to coarse textured; it is used for making agricultural tools, wooden ware, and tobacco boxes, and rarely for house construction. The white, papery bark is made into canoes and fancy articles, food baskets, and is also used as a substitute for tiles; the inner bark contains much resin.
Two new triterpenes, 3α,12β,20(S),24-tetrahydroxydammar-25-ene (III) and 3α,12β,20(S),25- tetrahydroxydammar-23-ene (V) were isolated from Betulaplatyphylla Sukatchev var. japonica. These betulafolientetraols were synthesized from betulafolientriol (I) by photo-oxidation.