Planting of Hazenoki trees at Misumi Villa, the former home of Seifu Murata

Local forerunners who worked on the reform of the feudal government at the end of the Edo period

Murata Seifu, a native of Misumi, Nagato City, worked to reform the Choshu domain government at the end of the Edo period.

In order to rebuild its finances, the company is known to have engaged in the "Hochō Shihaku" policy, which encouraged the production of four white products: paper, rice, salt, and wax from the haze seed. However, even in the Misumi district, which is said to have once been a major producer of haze wax, there are not enough haze waxes today to estimate what it was like back then.

Under such circumstances, today, the planting of a Hazenoki tree was held on the grounds of "Misumi Sanso," Seifu's former residence, adjacent to the "Seifu Murata Memorial Museum.

In front of the donors and members of the Seifu Murata Memorial Association who gathered that day, Mr. Kazunori Nakano, Director of the Seifu Murata Memorial Museum, said, "The planting of the Hazenoki tree is a fulfillment of our wish, as the museum exhibits a wax squeezer, which is rare in Japan. We will manage the tree with everyone's expectations and thoughts on our shoulders, and we hope you will see the leaves turn red in the fall," he said.

This one was grown and donated by Hirofumi Kumamoto of Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture, an area affected by the torrential rains in northern Kyushu in July, 2009. He had to cut down the Hazenoki trees in his field due to the construction of a river widening to support reconstruction.

Mr. Kumamoto's desire for the trees to be used for children's learning about their hometown was received by Mr. Jukanfuku Hanayagi, a resident of Yamaguchi City and vice president of the R sumac Culture Association. After consulting with Mr. Nakano, director of the Seifu Memorial Museum, the tree planting was realized.

Hazerow is a raw material for Japanese candles and is used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and many other applications.

Last summer, as part of Nagato City's "Nagatrip" experience tourism event, Hanayagi-san produced workshops on Japanese candle making and soap making at the Murata Seifu Memorial Museum.

To prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the Memorial Museum is closed until the end of March, but plans are underway for another Hazerow-themed experience this summer. When you visit the Seifu Murata Memorial Museum, please be sure to see the Hazerow tree as well.

Related Links

• Seifu Murata Memorial Hall
• Nagatrip" Summer Experience Tourism Event Feature Page