TAKAZAWA CANDLES
TAKAZAWA CANDLE creates traditional Japanese candles, called "WA-ROUSOKU," made from natural waxes. They established their candle-making business back in 1892 in the city of Nanao, Ishikawa Pref., Japan.
The candles use a number of different kinds of waxes that are derived from plant-based raw materials: fruits of HAZE (sumac) tree, rice bran, canola flower oil, and fruits of URUSHI tree. The natural energy stored in these plants are utilized when these candles are burned, thus making them eco-friendly. When extinguished, the candles release less soot and less unpleasant odor thanks to the natural, plant-based waxes. The flame of the TAKAZAWA candles is bigger and brighter. This is due to the structure of the traditional wick which is thicker in diameter than the western counterpart's. The wick is made of the combination of WASHI-paper, rush weed, and silk fiber, all derived from the nature as well.
It is said that WA-ROUSOKU (Japanese candles) were born in Japan through the introduction of Buddhism and based on an item dating back to the Nara period (710-794 AD) which was made of beeswax collected from beehives. In the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the cultivation of haze (wax trees), a raw material used in WA-ROUSOKU, flourished in Kyushu and Shikoku, and these candles came into wide use by the masses.