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A flickering flame has always fascinated the founders, since it might evoke images in the minds, or memories from the past, or perhaps feelings about our primitive nature. The powerful flame, flickering from the simple silhouette of a candle, producing shadows in a room, creates a great atmosphere that makes you feel relaxed while you spend time with your family and close friends.
TOHAKU is an homage to ‘The Pine Trees screen’, drawn by Tohaku Hasegawa, one of the most famous painters in Japan. The pine trees in the paintings are of the landscape of Nanao City, and he drew it while recollecting his memories of the beautiful nature of his childhood home. The flame is an extension of the gentle lines of these trees, reminding you of a rustic simplicity.
NANAO is the name of the city, the heart of the glorious countryside in which the founders live. There are five different candles, all with a motif of a different plant that grows in the Noto Peninsula.
The form of IKARI was born from their ingenuity and is called the ‘anchor shape’, a top heavy style with a wide rim and narrow base, allowing the candle to create a large flame very quickly.
KOME-NO-MEGUMI means the blessing of rice. Theses candles are made with rice bran wax and take only 30 minutes to burn out. The light might give you the time to enjoy a cup of coffee, or some of your favourite music.
The rapeseed blossoms are the landmark of Noto island. When sailors find its yellow flowers, they know they will reach the island soon. NANOHANA is the Japanese name for rapeseed flowers, and these candles are made from its oil.
About Takazawa Candle
Sumac wax from Kyushu region and Japanese paper (wa-shi) from Iwami (in Shimane Prefecture), used for wicks, were brought to Nanao to produce candles. The finished product was then transported throughout Japan by Kitamae ship. There were many guilds, which made candles, in Nanao until the late 19th century. Takazawa Candle was established in 1892. Today, they are the only candle makers that keep this tradition alive in Nanao.
Since 1892, the candle making company Takazawa Candle has been providing the candlelight in harmony with nature from Japan. Takazawa Candle has been making candles from the grace of plants such as the fruits of sumac tree, rice bran, and rapeseed flower oil since 1892.
The first candles in Japan were brought in from China in the 8th century and made from bees wax. Bees wax, as a material, it was not familiar to our ancestors so they tried to make candles from the wax derived from plants. The sumac wax was soft and easy to form into the shape of a candle and so by the 16th century it had become the standard material for candle-making in Japan.
Our candles’ flames are bigger and brighter than other companies. The flame comes from a special wick made from a unique recipe dating back to the 16th century, and it is the symbol of ancestral wisdom. At a time when there were no electric lights, light means candles. Our wick is made from plant-based materials such as dried rush and washi-paper, thus symbolising the beautiful relationship between our ancestors and nature.
