We make the Japanese candles from three kinds of raw materials mainly.
The first one is made from the wax-tree wax ( pure vegetable / Rhus succedanea ),
the second is from rice-bran wax, and the last from compound wax jpx724.
The candle originated from a pine torch.
In olden times people used to gather around the torch fire.
They believed it to be a symbol and sometimes it was even thought to be an 'eye'.
It is said that the candle was transmitted from China in the Nara period.
The following is an explanation about the Haze-roh Japanese candle made from the wax-tree wax.

The Japanese Candle

The candle made from the wax-tree wax is fundametally thought to be the best of all,
but nowadays not all the candles are made from the wax-tree wax.
Some candle suppliers sell Chinese rice wax candles as wax-tree wax candles, but this is not correct.

The reason the wax tree candle is the best:
First of all the combustion is stable and the flame is beautiful.
Lamp soot is very little.
The material can be gathered repeatedly because it is squeezed out of the fruit of the wax tree.
It is pure vegetable natural wax, and it does not leave any substance on a family's Buddhist altar and furniture.
The Japanese wax-tree wax candle should be recommended for the reasons mentioned above.
I am sure from my experience that no other wax can blaze more stably than wax-tree wax.
People use the white candle for the usual religious services,
and use the red one for the congratulatory services ( such as the birth of a child, marriage, entrance into a school, etc. ),
and some Buddhist branches use the red one for the 7th memorial ceremony and further ceremonies thereafter.

The candle craftman

I believe, he or she should make the candles by using one's own hands, and not with the use of tools or a machine.
It takes almost three years to master the handling technique.
And moreover it takes at least ten years to master it thoroughly.
Three years is not enough time to master the craft, because the craft person cannot yet follow or feel the changes such as temperature, humidity, and one's own physical condition completely.
So this makes it difficult to raise successors.
As for the price of wax-tree wax this is 15 to 20 times as higher than that of the standard white paraffin, and it takes 8 times longer to make a candle by hand than to make one by machine.
That is why the pure Japanese candle needs time and trouble, and costs are high.

The wax-tree wax

It is said that the wax-tree wax came from Ryukyu(old Okinawa) in the Edo era.
( The "once-upon-a-time" Story of the wax tree / p.40 ) The wax-tree wax evolved into the most suitable wax for candle-making by selective breeding in Japan.
I hear that because the Japanese candle was very expensive, the average person used candle oil.
The wax trees used to be found all over Japan, but most of them were in the Shikoku, Kyushu, Chugoku regions in particular.
They were proud of the highest production in the Meiji era, but in 1993 only 1% of that had been produced. Currently most candle-making takes place in Kyushu.
I think that the influence that the wax tree gave to people in Kyushu was great.
I heard the story that a returned soldier could not stop his tears to see the wax trees when he came back to his home land after the World War.
This moved me greatly. At that time I felt the traditional culture of the wax tree. I consider it important to understand the wax tree deeply and treat it valuably.

Attentions on use

When you leave the candle alone for a while, it becomes white as a result of natural oxidation.
White powder comes to have spouted on the surface in the case of the vermilion candle.
This is because of the pure wax-tree wax, and so it will return to the original color when you wipe it with a dry cloth lightly.
When you use it, please take care not to set it in the wind.
And please remove only a long part by the time a remainding core becomes long.
Even if you put out the fire, please leave the wick like the diameter of candle.

Sale

Any candle will burn when you light it.
However it is very difficult to produce a candle that is unique.
I intend to offer the product of which I myself am proud.
The candle which we call the wax-tree wax candle and sell, uses 100% wax-tree wax.

We are looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

2-5-8 sumiyoshi Imazu-cho takashima-city Shiga.pre
Zip code: 520-1623
Ohmi handmade Japanese candle: 'Daiyo'
Phone: 0740-22-0557 Fax: 0740-22-1267
E mail: info@warousokudaiyo.com
http://www.warousokudaiyo.com

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