Research began in the 1990s as part of our company's " CERARICA CERARICA NODA and the China Academy of Forestry developed into a JICA* project. By transforming insects such as scale insects, which were previously considered pests, into beneficial insects, the project has developed the industrial use of snow wax to enrich the lives of poor farmers in the mountainous regions of China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and increase greenery at the same time.
*JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) is an independent administrative institution that is one of the implementing agencies for government development assistance, and its purpose is to contribute to the economic and social development of developing regions and other areas, and to promote international cooperation.

The historical name for this wax is Ibotarou. Ibota is written as "Ibotori," meaning wart removal. Its name comes from its use as a wart removal medicine. One treatment involves wrapping the base of the wart in silk thread and applying heated, melted wax.
The insect that produces this wax is called the Ibotarou scale insect. In Japan, the Ibota tree is a typical tree favored by the Ibotarou scale insect and responsible for creating a snow-like blanket. Ibota is also written as "water wax." While I mentioned its use as a wart removal medicine earlier, as a medicinal herb, it is called Mushihakurou or Mushihakurou. It is pronounced "chuhakurou." When used in cosmetics, the katakana spelling "chuhakurou" is used for the labeling. Another thing to note is that while "Japan wax" in English refers to Japan wax (Hachiman wax), "Chinese wax" refers to this snow wax. Its medicinal use in China dates back even further than in Japan.

Our Yukiro wax has a high melting point, is glossy, pure white, and has needle-shaped crystals. It is primarily used as a moisture-proofing agent, lubricant, and polishing agent. Surfaces polished with Yukiro do not bleed, do not repel ink, and can be written on with ink, making it highly valued for crafts such as paulownia wood boxes. It is also known as a wax suitable for maintaining go stones. Black stones can be polished with camellia oil, and white stones can be polished with Yukiro wax to restore their shine

The Japanese privet scale is a single species of insect belonging to the Coccidae family. It parasitizes plants of the Oleaceae family such as Chinese Ash and Ligustrum globosum (privet). In terms of wax production, only 1-2g of wax can be obtained for every 1,500 insects, making snow wax a high-quality wax today