Tsubaki 椿
The Japanese camellia, Camellia japonica, whose seed oil is one of the oils used to condition natural-fiber rope.
Tsubaki (椿) is the common camellia, Camellia japonica (Jisho). Japanese reference works describe tsubaki-abura, camellia oil, as a pale yellow, non-drying oil pressed from the seeds, long used as a hair oil and also for cooking and as a lubricant, with the Izu Islands and southern Kyūshū as the main producing areas (Kotobank). In rope care, Shibari Study’s glossary notes that camellia oil can be used to treat rope. Karada House calls it a traditional Japanese choice that is light and absorbs well, and Mo Bights of Shibari Study names it, with jojoba, as an oil with a long, stable shelf life.