12:12 JST, October 5, 2024
KYOTO โ The reddish flame of a candle dimly and beautifully illuminates the face of a maiko apprentice geisha as she dances in the dim light. The flame sways with her dance and shadows move elegantly across a golden folding screen.
At an event in late August, a maiko danced, softly lit by Japanese candles, at a hotel in Kyoto. Hirokazu Tagawa, the Japanese candlemaker who organized the event, watched intently from the back of the room.
Long ago, before electric light was invented, Maiko had to make their faces glow even by candlelight, which would probably have resulted in them applying white makeup. Reproducing the beauty that the Japanese saw in the past is one of Tagawa’s life’s works. โUnless we create such opportunities, the essence of traditional culture may be forgotten,โ he said.
A maiko dances by candlelight during an event to convey the beauty of Japanese candles.
The production of candles using the fruit of mist wax trees began in the Muromachi period (1336-1573). Because Japanese candles are made from vegetable wax, they produce less soot and drips. The hollow core of the wick makes the flame flicker as if it has a mind of its own. Petroleum-derived candles cannot create this kind of atmosphere.
Tagawa has been organizing the candlelight dance event for about 10 years and wants to showcase the authentic culture, if only for those who are deeply interested in it.
Tireless efforts
Tagawa’s store and factory are located in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. As I walked through the noren curtain I smelled the smell of melted wax. Tagawa worked on candle coloring, called shugake in Japanese, the final stage of Japanese candle making.
Tagawa grabbed a thin wooden stick inserted into a candle with his left hand and scooped molten red wax from the pot with a ladle in his right hand. He tilted the candlestick slightly, turned it around and smoothly covered it with red wax.
Heated wax is applied to dough candles with bare hands
Tagawa previously worked for a major automaker. He quit his job and delved into the world of candle making in 1988, at the age of 25, when his father-in-law became unwell. His father-in-law Ryozo Nakamura was the third president of the candle making and sales shop โNakamura Rousokuโ, founded in 1887.
Tagawa helped his mother-in-law, who ran the store on her husband’s behalf, and the employees watch and copy what they did every day. Hoping to learn more about candles, he visited more than ten candle makers across the country to view their production process and purchase finished products. This allowed him to deepen his knowledge.
Various types of Japanese candles are on display, including ones with pictures, which are popular among young people and foreign tourists.
From morning to night, Tagawa continued making candles and improving his techniques. He said that he is the type of person who, once he makes a decision, does not change it easily. Regardless of whether or not he would take over the shop, he vowed to become a full-fledged candle maker.
โIf we do not meet the requirements, Japanese candles will soon be replaced by electric lamps or Western candles. I had to keep working,โ he said. When his father-in-law passed away in 2007, Tagawa became the store’s fourth president.
New initiatives
How can Japanese candles be passed on to future generations? As president of the company, Tagawa launched a project to give concrete form to his mission. As the number of farmers growing spray wax trees continues to decline, he began growing the trees and harvesting the fruit in collaboration with local high school students.
The young trees started bearing fruit several years ago, although some were damaged by animals and cold weather. It is still difficult to produce candles exclusively from the fruits they have been harvested. However, they have high expectations for the future.
Japanese candle flames swing wildly.
Working through trial and error for days, Tagawa sometimes makes discoveries that lead to new possibilities for candles.
While experimenting with new ideas during the COVID-19 pandemic, he developed candles for meditation. He came up with the idea of โโusing the property of candles, namely that they can adjust their burning time by changing their thickness and length. The candles proved popular among women in their 20s and 30s, as well as among foreign tourists visiting Kyoto, because of their relaxing effects.
Tagawa posted videos on social media to introduce the manufacturing process and method of extinguishing a candle flame using a tool called ‘shinkiri’. He has received many comments, such as โThis post makes me interested in traditional etiquetteโ and โThe flame looks warm and beautiful.โ
โI think there are people who want Japanese candles. That is why I must take action now,โ Tagawa said. His heart is passionate like a candle flame and burns quietly and gracefully.
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If you are interested in the original Japanese version of this story, click here.