also: はくたん · しらずみ
white charcoal
A type of charcoal made by carbonizing wood at high temperature and then cooling it rapidly with a mixture of ash, sand, and soil, resulting in a hard, white-surfaced charcoal. Contrasts with 黒炭 (black charcoal).
See also: 黒炭 (くろずみ)
White charcoal lasts longer than black charcoal.
charcoal for tea ceremony
Specifically, white charcoal used in the Japanese tea ceremony (茶道). It is prized for its clean burning and subtle heat.
White charcoal is often used in the tea ceremony.
Binchōtan is a type of white charcoal.
Standard kanji form; the reading しろずみ is the most common for this word.
On-reading variant; less common but encountered in technical or historical contexts.
Alternate kun-reading; rare and possibly dialectal or archaic.
Compound of 白 (white) and 炭 (charcoal), referring to the whitish surface of this type of charcoal. The reading しろずみ is the standard kun-reading combination; はくたん is the on-reading, and しらずみ is a rare alternate kun-reading.