Men's Prayer Beads, Yakusugi (Yaku Cedar), Matching Set, Shingon Sect, Shaku-san, Flat Beads

Men's Prayer Beads, Yakusugi (Yaku Cedar), Matching Set, Shingon Sect, Shaku-san, Flat Beads

Yakusugi are ancient cedars from Yakushima, a UNESCO World Heritage site, generally defined as cedar trees over 1,000 years old. As the forest is protected, only wood from naturally fallen trees may be used. Its unusually fine, dense grain deepens in color and character the longer it is used. One tradition holds that Shingon Buddhism may have been the first sect in Japan to bring prayer beads to the country, which is why the Shingon-style strand closely resembles the standard eight-sect design, typically featuring two tassels front and back on a red cord. This flat-bead style is also the base for the slightly longer beads carried on pilgrimages.

Product Specifications

Item Number: 6835062334100
Parent Bead (Oyadama): Approx. 0.59 in x 0.47 in (1.5 x 1.2 cm) – Yakusugi
Main Beads (Shudama): Approx. 0.39 in x 0.28 in (1.0 x 0.7 cm) – Yakusugi
Top Bead (Tendama): Approx. 0.31 in x 0.20 in (0.8 x 0.5 cm) – Yakusugi
Note: For Shingon sect. Length approx. 13 shaku (39.4 cm), flat bead style.