Left: TAKAZAWA Hisashi runs
Takazawa Candle. This photo frombefore the earthquake shows thehistorical store’s former interior.
Right: The shinjime process forapplying melted wax to the wick of aJapanese candle. The wick is covered
with a thin layer of wax prior to being
processed into a candle to prevent itfrom falling apart.

JAPANESE CANDLES IN
NOTO:

LIGHTING THE WAY TO REVITALIZATIONAFTER THE QUAKEThe massive damage inflicted by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on New
Year’s Day in 2024 included the collapse of a store that had been crafting
Japanese candles for over 130 years. But with support from people in Japanand beyond, the company has resumed production. To keep the light of its
tradition alive, the business is moving forward with rebuilding efforts.
The Noto Peninsula, shaped somewhat like a key,juts out into the Sea of Japan. The peninsula’s central
area is known for its natural harbor on its eastern side,
as well as a rich natural environment and culture.
Situated in the middle of the area is the city of Nanao,
which has flourished since the beginning of the 17thcentury as a port of call for merchant ships plying theSea of Japan. Raw materials from across the country
arrived there to be shaped into finished products thatTsugaru Strait

Nanao

were then transported to other parts of the country.
One of those products was traditional Japanesecandles. However, only one store carrying on theproduction of the traditional craft remains in the city
today: Takazawa Candle, founded in 1892.
According to TAKAZAWA Hisashi, the company’s
fifth-generation owner, “A Japanese candle, featuringa cavity in the center of its wick, burns while taking air
into this space, creating a large flame that produces aNanohana, a Japanese candle
distinguished by its large
flame. The word nanohanameans “rapeseed blossom,” asymbolic flower of Noto
Peninsula. This candle iscrafted from its oil.

pleasing flicker.” In Japan, the candles are mostly used
for funerals, memorial services, and other Buddhist
ceremonies, but in overseas markets, which accountfor around 10% of the firm’s sales, restaurants andhigh-end hotels prefer them for their large, soot-freeflames. The owner says, “Traditional Japanese candles
made from natural materials, while maintainingbalance with the environment, embody Japanesevalues that respect harmony with nature.”With plans for further expansion overseas toshow the world the appeal of Japanese candles andthe values behind them, Takazawa was preparing
to exhibit products in Paris in mid-January 2024 at
Maison & Objet, Europe’s premier interior design
trade fair. But on January 1, just before he was set toship the products, the Noto Peninsula was hit by amajor earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6. The store,
over a century old and listed as a national tangible
cultural property, was immensely destroyed, while
the factory also suffered damage.
Takazawa recalls that he had initially given up on
exhibiting at Maison & Objet because he felt that hecould not leave Japan while daily life was still upended
by the disaster. It was then that he received an offer ofassistance from Japanese organizations that support
trade fair exhibitors overseas. He says, “Some candles
had narrowly survived the quake unscathed. Even if
I couldn’t go to France in person, I could still send
those candles to be exhibited. I also thought it would
be a good opportunity to tell the world about thedamage from the disaster.”
After the candles and informational panels on theearthquake were entrusted to the organization, theexhibition at the trade fair went off without a hitch.
Overseas buyers who visited the booth gave highpraise to the candles’ design, and wrote 20 pages ofwishes for the store’s reconstruction in a notebook
while there.
With water supplies in Nanao cut off for overthree weeks after the earthquake, the company had

no water to cool the melted wax, but it managed toprepare for the resumption of production by using apipe from a nearby rice paddy to supply the factorywith groundwater. When the furnace was lit for
melting the wax, Takazawa says his feelings were“beyond words.”
It will cost around 200 million yen (around 1.3
million U.S. dollars) to rebuild the collapsed store,
and a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for theproject brought in more than 13 million yen, while
messages of encouragement came from nearly 1,000people. Takazawa says, “This fills me with great joy
and encouragement.” He is determined to rebuild
the store to provide a taste of Noto, as well as makeit more earthquake-resistant and comfortable foremployees.
By early February, the pre-quake production system
was restored, with the furnace burning early every
morning. In March, sales resumed at a temporarystore. From Noto Peninsula and beyond, the flamesof Nanao’s Japanese candles will illuminate the world
as beacons for the recovery effort.
Top: Although the 2024 Noto
Peninsula Earthquake destroyed
Takazawa Candle’s historic store,
the company has already begun
discussions with architects to havethe structure rebuilt.
Bottom: The Takazawa Candle
exhibit at Maison & Objet. Many
overseas buyers visited the exhibit,
gaining an appreciation of thevalues behind Japanese candles thatcherish a life in harmony withnature. JETRO