Mizuki - Mizuki

Japanese: ミズキ - みずき

A deciduous tall tree of the Cornaceae family (APG classification: Cornaceae). It can reach a height of 18 meters and a diameter of 60 centimeters. The trunk is gray-brown and the twigs are green. The leaves are broadly ovate to elliptical, 5-15 centimeters long, entire. They flower in corymbs from the ends of the branches from May to July, and are white. The drupes are spherical, 6-7 mm in diameter, and ripen black. They commonly grow in mountainous areas, and are found from Hokkaido to Kyushu, as well as the Korean Peninsula, China, Taiwan, Indochina, and the Himalayas. They have a strong ability to raise water absorbed from the roots (root pressure), and when the trunk is cut in spring, sap flows out, hence the name "dogwood." The wood is white and easy to process, so it is used for kokeshi dolls, as well as the bases of trays and bowls, ladles, chopsticks, and toys.

The Cornus genus consists of about 40 species and is distributed mainly in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere.

[Yuichi Kadota March 22, 2021]

Cultural history

In Nagano and Niigata prefectures, it is used in a fire prevention ceremony at the time of raising the roof. From the Tohoku region to the Chubu region, it is used in the "sapling welcoming" ceremony at New Year, and on the first day of the new year, cocoons and small dumplings are stuck on small dogwood branches and displayed on the Shinto altar, and prayers are made for a good harvest. For this reason, it is also called Maidama no Ki or Dango no Ki. The Ainu use it as a wooden charm (called inau) and it is the second most important sacred tree after Amur cordata. Salmon are always killed by hitting them on the head with a dogwood stick while chanting "Kunau Koru" (hold the wooden charm). It was believed that the salmon would return to heaven with the inau as a souvenir ("Classified Ainu Language Dictionary"). From these facts, it seems that the dogwood has been known since ancient times, but it is rarely found in old books. The name Mizuki appears in the Wakan Sansai Zue (1713), but this is actually the Hyuuga Dogwood, a member of the Hamamelidaceae family.

[Hiroshi Yuasa March 22, 2021]

Dogwood
It commonly grows in mountainous areas and can reach a height of several tens of meters. From May to July, white flowers appear in corymbs. ©Shogakukan ">

Dogwood

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

ミズキ科（APG分類：ミズキ科）の落葉高木。高さ18メートル、径60センチメートルに達する。幹は灰褐色、小枝は緑色。葉は広卵形から楕円(だえん)形で、長さ5～15センチメートル、全縁。花は5～7月、枝の先から出た散房花序につき、白色。核果は球形で径6～7ミリメートルで、黒く熟す。山地に普通に生え、北海道から九州、および朝鮮半島、中国、台湾、インドシナ、ヒマラヤに分布する。根から吸い上げた水分を上昇させる力（根圧）が強く、春に幹を伐(き)ると樹液が流れ出すのでミズキの名がある。材は白色で加工が容易であるため、こけしの材料としたり、盆や椀(わん)の木地、杓子(しゃくし)、箸(はし)、玩具(がんぐ)などに用いられる。

　ミズキ属は約40種からなり、北半球の温帯を中心に分布する。

［門田裕一　2021年3月22日］

文化史

長野県や新潟県などでは棟上げ時の火除(ひよ)けの儀式に使われる。東北から中部地方にかけて正月の「若木迎え」に用い、小正月(こしょうがつ)にミズキの小枝に繭玉(まゆだま)や小団子を刺し、神棚に飾り、五穀豊穣(ほうじょう)を祈った。そのため、マイダマノキとかダンゴノキともよばれる。アイヌは木幣（イナウと称する）とし、キハダに次ぐ重要な神の木であった。サケはかならずミズキの棒で、クナウ・コル（木幣を持て）と唱え頭をたたいて殺した。サケはそのイナウを土産(みやげ)に天国に帰ると信じられたのである（『分類アイヌ語辞典』）。これらのことから、ミズキの認識は古くからあったと思われるが、古書にはほとんどみられない。『和漢三才図会(ずえ)』（1713）に美豆木(みずき)の名が載るが、これはマンサク科のヒュウガミズキである。

［湯浅浩史　2021年3月22日］

ミズキ

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

<<: Mizuki

>>: Misugi [village] - Misugi