OKAYAMA Red Pine
岡山赤松
産地；岡山県真庭市（赤松が県木）
岡山県の県木。他の赤松と比べ赤みが強く、粘りがあり、樹脂が多いので、撥水性が高く、火が付きやすく、独特の芳香があります。火が付きやすいのを利用し備前焼の薪や護摩行の時の護摩木にも使われます。護摩行ではパチパチという音が神秘性を持たせ、火が勢いよく燃え上がる事で、「仏の智慧」や「不動明王の浄化の力」を表現させ、煩悩を払い、願いを叶えるといわれています。
赤松は全国で松くい虫など害虫にやられることが多く、岡山の赤松も希少となっていっています。
木の力；不老長寿、願いを叶える、知恵、慈悲、同情
OKAYAMA Red Pine
Origin: Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture (the red pine is the prefectural tree)
The red pine is the official tree of Okayama Prefecture. Compared to other red pines, it has a deeper reddish color, greater flexibility, and a higher resin content, giving it excellent water repellency, easy ignition, and a distinctive aroma.
Because it ignites easily, it is used as firewood for Bizen ware kilns and as gomagi (ritual sticks) in the Buddhist fire ritual goma. During the goma ritual, the crackling sound adds a sense of mystique, while the vigorous flames symbolize “the wisdom of the Buddha” and “the purifying power of Fudō Myōō,” said to dispel worldly desires and grant wishes.
Red pines across Japan often suffer from pine wilt disease and other pests, and Okayama’s red pines are likewise becoming increasingly rare.
Meaning: longevity, wish fulfillment, wisdom, compassion, sympathy