Japanese Poplar / ヤナギ科ヤマナラシ属 /日本

A toothpick tree
A tree familiar with daily necessities such as toothpicks and match rods. In ancient China there was a record that biting a branch of a tree of a willow and poking a tooth with a branch to save the pain of the tooth, it became to be used as a toothpick. Because it is a material that is strong in elasticity and absorbs shock, it was used for Maruki ship, boat edge, ammunition box. When this tree is made into ink, light and soft charcoal is made and it is used as raw material for black powder.

爪楊枝の木
日用品の楊枝、マッチ棒などでなじみの深い木。古代中国で柳の木の枝を噛んだり枝先で歯をつついたりして、歯の痛みをおさえていたという記録があり、爪楊枝に使われるようになった。弾力性が強く衝撃吸収する材質のため、丸木船や船縁、弾薬箱に使われた。この木を墨にすると軽く柔らかな木炭ができ黒色火薬の原料にされる。