Content Number:20622
Jofuku was ordered by the Qin emperor to find the elixir of perpetual youth and eternal life, and it is thought that what he found was the tendai uyaku, an evergreen shrub of the camphor family.
The sun-dried elliptical leaves of this shrub are said to be efficacious against stomach and liver ailments as well as against rheumatism.
The shrub originated in Taiwan or China south of the Yangtze River, and it is widely cultivated in Shingu City because of the Jofuku legend. It is now a specialty of Shingu and is for sale at souvenir shops and other places, processed into tea, bath powder and so on.
Asuka Shrine
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