“tree trunk / core” in Japanese is 幹, read kan, miki (かん, みき). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 幹部 (executive).
What does 幹 mean?
木の幹は太い。
Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side: