the volatile compounds obtained from the ether extracts, headspace gases and steam distillates of alpinia japonica and elettaria cardamomum were analyzed by gc/ms. both species were rich sources of naturally rare fenchane-type monoterpenoids, fenchene, fenchone, fenchyl alcohol and its acetate, together with 1,8-cineole. the distributions of volatile sesquiterpenoids were very poor in both species. chiralities of fenchone in a. japonica and e. cardamomum were 99% of (1s,4r)-(+)-form. camphor in a. japonica is composed of a mixture of (1r,4r)-(+)-form (94.3%) and (1s,4s)-(-)-form (5.7%). on the other hand, e. cardamomum produced only (1r,4r)-(+)-camphor (99%).