noun
Only with reading あずさ / アズサ
A tree species (Betula grossa) native to Japan. Often written in kana as あずさ.
See also: 夜糞峰榛
あずさは山地に生える落葉高木です。
The Japanese cherry birch is a deciduous tree that grows in mountainous areas.
noun
Only with reading あずさ / アズサ
A tree species (Catalpa ovata), also known as キササゲ. The wood was historically used for bows and printing blocks.
See also: キササゲ
キササゲは梓とも呼ばれ、昔から弓の材料に使われました。
The yellow catalpa is also called 梓, and its wood has been used for making bows since ancient times.
noun
Only with reading あずさ / アズサ
A plant species (Mallotus japonicus), also called 赤芽柏. Less commonly referred to as 梓.
See also: 赤芽柏
赤芽柏は梓の一種とされることがあります。
The Japanese mallotus is sometimes considered a type of 梓.
noun
printing block
Refers to a woodblock used for printing, traditionally made from catalpa wood. This sense is not restricted to a specific reading.
梓の版木で経典を刷った。
They printed sutras using printing blocks made of catalpa wood.
noun
catalpa bow
Only with reading あずさ
Abbreviation of 梓弓 (あずさゆみ), a bow made from catalpa wood. Used in classical poetry and literature.
See also: 梓弓
万葉集には「梓弓」の歌が多く見られる。
Many poems in the Man'yōshū mention the catalpa bow.
noun
catalpa medium
Only with reading あずさ
Abbreviation of 梓巫女 (あずさみこ), a female medium who used a catalpa bow in rituals. Historical term.
See also: 梓巫女
梓巫女は梓弓を使って神託を伝えたとされる。
The catalpa medium is said to have conveyed divine messages using a catalpa bow.
The tree senses are usually written in kana. This kana spelling is common for the plant names.
Katakana spelling sometimes used for the plant names, especially in botanical contexts.
The kanji 梓 originally referred to the catalpa tree in Chinese, and the Japanese word あずさ was applied to several native trees with similar uses. The reading し is the on'yomi and is rarely used.