also: はぜ
wax tree; Japanese wax tree
A deciduous tree (Toxicodendron succedaneum) whose fruit yields wax. The name is usually written in kana.
The berries of the wax tree provide material for Japanese candles.
In autumn, the leaves of the wax tree turn a beautiful red.
Katakana spelling is common and avoids rare kanji; usually written in kana.
Kanji form; 黄櫨 can be read はぜ or はじ. Rare in modern use.
Abbreviated kanji form; rare.
Shortened katakana form, often used in compound names or casual contexts.
The origin of ハゼ is uncertain. The kanji 黄櫨 are Chinese-derived and used for this tree, but the Japanese name likely predates the kanji assignment.