The seventh owner of the established shop from the Edo period of “Kigake Warousoku (Pure Vegetable Japanese Candle)” is Junji Mishima. There are less than ten shops that create the Japanese candles by hand in Japan. The only shop that all processes are done handmade is “Mishima Warousoku Store” located in Furukawa town of Hida City.

• “Kigake” means “things made from something pure”.
• “Kake-ru” means “put coatings on many times”, which is used in the “Warousoku” craft term as “create Warousoku (Japanese candle)”.
• “Kigake Warousoku” of Mishima Warousoku shop is all made from natural vegetables. Also, all work processes are done by hand. It is genuine “Kigake Warousoku” succeeded by “Takumi (the Master)”.

 Ingredients of “Kigake Warousoku”

[Melt the Wood Wax]
Work begins: 4 o’clock in the morning
In the black pan placed on charcoal brazier, deep black wood wax is melting. The temperature of wax is 70-90 (158-194F). Wood wax deposit raked out from the mortar on the day before is mixed with the wood wax. This wood wax deposit plays an important role to produce the distinct stickiness.

[Knead the Wood Wax]
Pour the melted wood wax into a wood mortar and knead with the pestle. It is important to produce stickiness. This process of “kneading the wax” is a basis of creating “Warousoku”. After kneading one and a half hour, the deep black liquid turns to deep green. At this point, the temperature is approximately 42-43 (107.6-109.4F).

[First Coating]
Around 7:30 AM
The wax core inserted into 40 bamboo sticks is put into the sticky wood wax in the mortar and pulled up.

[Handling Bamboo Sticks]
The tip of bamboo stick that looked as one opens up suddenly. Repeatedly open and close them. You can see each bamboo stick is rotating. It is certainly the technique of “Sabaki (Handling)” by “Takumi (the Master)” nobody can do.
By the spinning force, the tip of wax on the bamboo stick thickens. The tip of the candle will not thicken right unless it is rotates with a right speed. While rotating them several times, the wax gets thicker and thicker.

[Under Coating]
After the original form completes, it’s time to coat the wax. The deep green wax is held on the left hand and coats the wax while rotating the stick on the right hand. This undercoating process is stopped when the candle gets thick enough but just one step before the final coating.

[Upper Coating]
Special technique to create the distinct whiteness
Just like the under coating, the candle stick goes back and forth several times. After going back and forth four to five times, the dark green colour suddenly turns to white no one realizes.
When the rotating speed on the right hand and rubbing speed on the left are matched just right, incredible whiteness and glossiness are produced.
This technique of containing the right amount of air on the surface of the candle requires the most advanced skill of a well experienced craftsman.

[Pulling Out Core]
After cutting its edge, pulling out the core and making the end horizontal, a beautiful “Warousoku” is finally created.

[Vermillion Candle]
In Hida, “vermillion candle” is used for special events like New Years, equinoctial week, celebratory days, Houonko (Jodo-sin sect event) and on or after the sixth anniversary from one’s death.
The fined white wax of Rhus succedanea and vermillion pigments are mixed and melted slowly over warm water. Then, on the surface of finished white candle, it is poured using the ladle. It is a superb technique to coat the candle in even thickness.

[Completed “Kigake Warousoku”]
From 4 o'clock of in the morning to 6 o'clock in the evening, only about 150 candles can be made. In each candle, the skilled technique of “Takumi (the Master)” gained by experiences and intuition is alive.