ヒノキ
ヒノキ

ヒノキ

  • Hinoki cypress
  • ヒノキ科ヒノキ属
  • 日本

伊勢神宮の式年遷宮に使われる木

耐湿、耐水性が良く、建材として最高品質のものとされ、芳香を長期にわたって発する。古くは古事記のスサノオ神話でヒノキが建材として登場しており、寺社仏閣材として重宝されてきた。飛鳥時代のヒノキの建築は1,000年を超える寿命を保つものがある。国宝の仏閣彫刻にも使われている。伊勢神宮の式年遷宮など神宮の用材に用いるところから「霊（ひ）の木」、太陽を表す「日の木」を語源とする説がある。

The wood used for the Shikinen Sengu reconstruction at Ise Grand Shrine

It is highly resistant to moisture and water, is considered one of the finest materials for construction, and gives off a pleasant fragrance for a long time. Hinoki cypress appears as a building material in the ancient Kojiki’s myth of Susanoo, and has long been prized for constructing temples and shrines. Some hinoki buildings from the Asuka period have lasted for more than 1,000 years. The wood is also used for sculptures in temples designated as National Treasures. One theory holds that its name derives from “the sacred tree” (hi no ki), since it is used for shrine construction, including the rebuilding of Ise Grand Shrine every twenty years; another traces it to “the tree of the sun” (hi no ki), referring to the sun.