The author obtained sap from the tree Acanthopanax sciadophylloides Fr. et Sav. (Japanese name, koshiabura) in Mt. Myoken in Kitakyushu city, Japan. Chemical analysis of the sap showed that it consisted of a mixture of terpenes, a nitrogen-containing gum and water. The main components of the volatile terpenes were alpha-pinene, beta-pinene and germacrene-D, and the empirical formula of the gum was C₆H_10. ₃O_4. ₄N_0.3. Traces of metallic elements were also found. When spread thin and exposed to air the sap dried into a hard, colorless, and transparent film sensitive to water. The author concluded that the ancient Japanese varnish known as gonzetsu was made from this sap. -- AATA