kozo; Japanese paper mulberry
A hybrid tree (Broussonetia kazinoki × papyrifera) whose bark is traditionally used for making Japanese paper (washi).
The bark of the kozo tree is used as a raw material for Japanese paper.
Katakana spelling is common for this plant name; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling, also used.
Kanji form; rarely used in modern writing. The reading かぞ is also possible but uncommon.
The word is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 楮 is a Chinese character for the paper mulberry, applied to this Japanese species.