also: らかんはく
noun
hiba false arborvitae; Thujopsis dolabrata
A species of cypress native to Japan, often called あすなろ. The kanji 翌檜 is ateji and rarely used; the plant is commonly referred to by its kana name.
あすなろはヒノキ科の常緑樹です。
The hiba false arborvitae is an evergreen tree of the cypress family.
庭にあすなろを植えました。
I planted a hiba false arborvitae in the garden.
Alternate kanji name with a different reading; mainly used in specialized botanical literature.
ヒノキ (Japanese cypress) is a different species, Chamaecyparis obtusa, while あすなろ is Thujopsis dolabrata. Both are in the cypress family but have distinct appearances and uses.
サワラ (Sawara cypress) is another related species, Chamaecyparis pisifera, often confused with あすなろ but with finer foliage.
The name あすなろ is said to come from the phrase '明日は檜になろう' (tomorrow I will become a hinoki cypress), reflecting the tree's resemblance to the more valuable hinoki. The kanji 翌檜 (and its variant 翌桧) are ateji based on this folk etymology. The alternate name 羅漢柏 (らかんはく) means 'arhat cypress' and is a Sino-Japanese coinage.