Japanese Candles made their first apparition in the Taiheiki, a historical epic book that was written in the late 14th century, which is when they started to be produced. The are very different from western candles in terms of material and shape. The candles are made of vegetable wax and the wicks are made of Japanese paper.
The typical “ikari” shape gradually becomes narrower at the base of the candle. Warosuku candles are white or red and often painted with flower motifs.
The Japanese candles can be seen in temples all over Japan, at home they are also use for decoration of religious hostels.
The aspect can loose it’s shine a little, for the white and red candles it still looks really beautiful but for the candles with drawings you can just rub it a little with a soft cloth and it will come back to its original state.
Most of the traditionally made Japanese candles are completely handmade with natural ingredients. They don’t produce thick, dark smoke but a light, soft one. The light they produce is softer than one of a classical candles and it takes longer for it to melt. According to the situation the light produce will evolve, many people say that is what they love the most about Japanese candles.
