The "Hari-buki" (Oplopanax japonicus) belongs to Araliaceae (the Ginseng family). It is a deciduous shrub that is distributed to the Oomine Mountains in the Kii Peninsula, the Mt. Ishizuchi in Shikoku and northward from Chubu district of Honshu to Hokkaido in Japan. This shrub grows in sub-alpine wettish places and can reach about 1 m in height. The shrub is covered with dense needle-like spines. The greenish white flowers bloom in the panicles from June to July. The fruits ripen red. Also known as "Kuma-dara" or "Jigoku-bara" in Japan.