The Japanese name for shiitake mushrooms, シャヒータケイト (which means "mushroom of hardwood"), comes from its common growing location- on fallen branches and logs in old-growth forests.  These harvestable mushrooms date back centuries ago when they were first cultivated by the Chinese, who would use them as a highly prized food source because other fungi could not grow at all where these particular kinds thrived! However, there has been an increasing demand in modern times due largely to our culture's increasing interest in healthy alternatives like vegetables. Today, many home gardeners also cultivate this popular delicacy.