Month: November 2020

Category
blog

Would you like to enjoy solitude with Japanese candles in the era of Corona? -The difference between Japanese candles and Western candles-

What is Japanese candle?

Japan wax extracted from goby fruit grown in western Japan , and the core is made from rush, which is used in tatami mats. The wick of a Japanese candle is cylindrical and hollow inside, so the wick absorbs wax quickly and prevents wax from dripping. In historic temples, the soot produced when burning is smooth and easy to remove, so there is no need to worry about staining high-quality Buddhist altar fittings, and the flame is large and beautiful, so it has been used for hundreds of years.
In addition, using expensive natural raw materials, each piece is handcrafted by craftsmen with all their heart in order to maintain its high quality. Therefore, the number of candles that can be made is limited, and they are more expensive than Western candles. But please try lighting a Japanese candle. Before you know it, you will become the main character of a historical drama. Why not turn off all the lights in your house for an hour and talk with your family in the dark, like the annual ``One Million Candle Night'' held nationwide?

What is a Western candle?

It is made from paraffin, which is extracted from petroleum, and the core is thread. For example, those colorful candles that come with birthday cakes are Western candles. I'm sure you've all had the experience of a candle dripping a little on a delicious cake. When Western candles burn, the soot is sticky compared to Japanese candles, so it can stick to Buddhist utensils and damage the surface. However, Western candles can be mass-produced by machines, so the raw materials are cheap and can be mass-produced, so they are commonly used.

Differences in the way Japanese candles and Western candles burn

If you compare the way Japanese candles and Western candles burn, you will find that the flame of Japanese candles is large and sways, as if their souls are connected, whereas Western candles are small and burn quietly.

In this lonely time of the first coronavirus crisis,
why not find some new joy in your heart with Japanese candles?

Category
blog wax

A rainy season goby tree stands beautifully and majestically in the courtyard.

Our power spot Haze Tree

In our courtyard in central Kanagawa Prefecture, there is a power spot of a goby tree with young leaves and young blue fruits. As a symbol of a long-lived company with a history of 188 years, its vibrant appearance continues to brighten the hearts of CERARICA employees today.
Goby fruit is the raw material for Japan wax , which has long been used in hair care and makeup cosmetics.After the beautiful autumn leaves from autumn to winter, the fruit is harvested, extracted, and purified.large ginkgoOiichōand imperial womenbig hairSmoothIt is also used in the current topic of ``Yellow oak-dyed gokanKorozen no Hou” is a vegetable dyeing using goby twigs.
Haze trees grow in warm regions, and in Japan, they have been cultivated and planted in western Japan, such as Kyushu and Shikoku, for a long time since the Edo period. Even in our company in the Kanto area, the haze tree produces fine fruit like this, so it is perfect for hobbyists to use as a garden tree even in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
As we previously introduced on our website, our employees teach people in Kyushu, Shikoku, and other regions modern know-how about harvesting goby berries that anyone can safely harvest at the ``Haze no Mi School.'' We are proceeding. A new goby tree public relations campaign that aims to expand greenery in line with the United Nations SDGs will once again increase the number of goby trees, which have become a seasonal feature of autumn, across western Japan.This will encourage young people today to look at the often neglected forestry industry from a completely new perspective. Through our activities, we sincerely hope that by increasing interest in and revitalizing the world, we will usher in an era of natural products that will replace petroleum synthesis.

  • Our power spot Haze Tree
  • Fresh goby fruit this June
Category
blog

Is it true that “natural wax” is used in various places?

The "Job Yearbook" is a very unique educational material edited by Asahi Shimbun that provides an easy-to-understand introduction to the unique work of various companies and organizations that represent Japan.
In July of this year, it was distributed to all elementary and junior high schools nationwide, as well as some high schools. Our company introduces ``surprising uses and functions of natural wax'' that are little known to children in our ``Work Yearbook''.
("Job Yearbook 2020" P256, 257, P333) For example, what comes to mind when you hear the word row?
I'm sure many people picture candles on a cake. Among these waxes, those produced mainly by plants and insects are called "natural waxes." ``Natural wax'' is used as a raw material for cosmetics such as hair wax and lipstick, capsules and tablets for health foods, gummy sweets, and other products such as the beard oil for tying hair and the Japanese candles you see on TV historical dramas. It is used for various purposes in discreet places around us, such as gum, dumplings, rice crackers, and even information recording materials such as CDs and copy machine toner.
With the development of convenience stores and mail-order shopping, people have become less interested in things other than how convenient they are to use, and they have become less interested in the original quality and value of things, such as what they are made of and how to handle them properly. There are many things that we don't notice.
Using the example of bamboo shoots, there are now many packs available at supermarkets and convenience stores that are ready to eat as soon as you open the bag, and I think people often buy bamboo shoots because they can be used right away. However, until a while ago, by buying bamboo shoots with their skins covered in soil and preparing and cooking them myself, I was able to experience for the first time the difference in taste and texture between real bamboo shoots and convenient store-bought bamboo shoots that have been processed to make them easier to eat. For the first time, I realized how much work had to be done behind the scenes to get the food ready to eat.
Nowadays, when we are overflowing with convenient things, this "Job Almanac" will give you an opportunity to understand the essence of things around you, become more interested in the things you take for granted, and what you use, and help you understand things that you may not have noticed before. I sincerely hope that the sensibility that people have always had towards nature will continue to grow in their children, just as they will be able to value each and every flower or grass that blooms on the side of the road. I am.
I sincerely hope that the era of natural products manufacturing based on the SDGs, which is kind to people and the earth, will spread step by step to future children around the world.

Category
blog

There is no such thing as a weed

Realize the essence of things around you

Have you ever become interested in "weeds"?
Weeds refer to plants that reproduce naturally, and while some are not useless and have medicinal effects, there are also a variety of plants that are poisonous.
Did you know that Emperor Showa once said, ``There is no such thing as a weed?''
I learned this from the president of CERARICA University.
As the name suggests, Hiroshiba, the garden of the Emperor's throne, is a large garden, and grass seeds fly from all over the place, making it overgrown with a variety of weeds in the summer. One summer, shortly after the war, when the Emperor and Empress returned from their summer vacation, Lord ChamberlainJijuchoMr. Irie apologized and said, ``I'm truly sorry, but the weeds are overgrown and this is all that remains.I will clean it up someday.'' In response, Emperor Showa said, ``There is no such thing as a weed in the first place.Every plant has its own name and lives wherever it pleases. You mustn't clean it,'' he said, conveying a deep meaning.
Even the plants we call "weeds" have their own names, and even the "language of flowers". The hated "weeds", which have vitality and keep growing no matter how much you pull them out, not only make us feel the four seasons, but also each one has a name, is created in this world, and absorbs carbon dioxide. They emit oxygen, purify water, and support the beauty of the entire planet.
Why don't you pay attention to the tiny lives with the Japanese's innate ``heart of awareness''?
<References> ●Aimasa Irie, “The Tale of the Imperial Chamberlain”/Published in 1980

Learn more about grass

Here, we will introduce each type of grass that you often see on the roads.

Halzion

A perennial herb that belongs to the family Asteraceae and the genus Mugwort.
It is also called poor grass because of the legend that if you break or pluck its flowers, you will become poor.
It prefers to grow in areas with high nitrogen content, such as pastures and fields, and can be eaten deliciously as tempura or dipping sauce. Flower language: “Reminiscence of love”

Dokudami
(also known as Dokudame, Juyaku, Gyoseiso, Jigokusoba, Umazeri)

A perennial plant of the Dokudamiaceae family.
It grows in clumps in damp shaded areas, has a unique scent, and has been widely used as a folk medicine since ancient times.
Language of flowers: "Wild" "White Memories"
Efficacy: Detoxification, antipyretic, prevention of arteriosclerosis, diuretic effect

dandelion

Generic name for the genus Dandelion of the Asteraceae family.
Dandelions that can often be seen in Japan include the Japanese dandelion, which has grown wild since ancient times, and the Western dandelion, which was introduced from foreign countries after the Meiji period.
Japanese dandelions bloom only in spring, while Western dandelions can often be seen in urban areas regardless of the season. Flower language: "Oracle of love", "True love", "Separation"

Category
blog

Let us young people learn and spread the charm of Japanese tea.

Japanese tea is a very delicate drink.

Tea is a familiar drink with a very long history for us Japanese people.
Our company was founded in Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and is famous for its national brand Yame tea. There are various kinds of tea that we have around us, such as plastic bottles, tea leaves, and tea bags, but at home, we often use plastic bottles rather than tea leaves, which take time to brew using a teapot. Is not it. Are you aware that Japanese tea requires a very delicate sensibility?
The reason Japanese tea is said to be delicate is not only the way it is brewed, but also the way the tea leaves are grown and the manufacturing technology.
The taste of Japanese tea varies depending on the temperature of the hot water at the time of brewing, and the brewer's skillful technique brings out the natural richness and aroma of the tea leaves, and the drinker also cultivates and enjoys a sophisticated sense of tasting the tea. Masu. Another delicacy lies in the high level of tea-making technology, which involves not just drying the tea, but ``drying it over time while maintaining human skin temperature (34-35 degrees Celsius) and adjusting the way it is kneaded.'' Yes, this is a traditional Japanese technique that can be proud to the world. Sharing a warm space when drinking tea is the origin of Japanese hospitality.
Now that I am 21 years old, I have recently come into contact with the delicacy and depth of this tea, and as someone who serves tea to customers, I often visit tea shops and try my hand at making tea, in order to help my customers have a better time. We are learning deeply about how to brew delicious tea and the advantages of tea leaves from each region. If any of you are thinking, ``Now that I think about it, I haven't been drinking rich, fragrant tea lately,'' then stop by your local tea shop, choose the tea you like best, and brew the tea leaves at the right temperature. Why not brew some tea, enjoy its richness, and take a breather?

<References/URL>
Ochaukeya HP
https://ochaukeya.com/japanesetea/japanesetea-04

Category
blog

Taking on the world challenge from the first step

Door to the world of “language”

We all study English as a first step in order for each of our employees, who are also members of CERARICA CERARICA
By learning English, I would like to be able to directly communicate with people from all over the world who have different cultures, receive a variety of stimulations, get to know and respect each other deeply, and share opinions with each other to create something new. I'm here.
For example, I personally go to overseas production areas of Life Row ( CERARICA , make friends with them, see the raw materials with my own eyes, and provide technical guidance to help local people improve their environment and escape poverty. Achieving detailed technical negotiations in English with a leading cosmetics company.
Under the guidance of Mr. Shan Kasem, a Sri Lankan man with British nationality who loves soccer, the in-house training course covers the basics of how to introduce yourself, the company, and work in English, including self-introductions in English. We practice happily even though we are both hesitant and embarrassed.
We at CERARICA NODA will continue to advance the 21st century "production industry" predicted by management scholar Drucker by creating high-quality life wax = CERARICA , and will take advantage of improvements in language, culture, and communication skills, although it will be a long road.