Japanese

Jukujikun (熟字訓).

Alternative forms

• 天糸瓜

Noun

糸瓜 ‎(hiragana へちま, katakana ヘチマ, romaji hechima)

1. a sponge gourd; a dishrag gourd; a rag gourd
2. a loofah (dried fibrous interior used as a sponge)
   • 2011 April 9, Hideaki Sorachi, “椿つばき派はもヴィダルサスーン派はもティモテ派はも背せ中なかを流んがし合あえば一ひとつ [Camilla, Vidal Sassoon and Timotei Are All the Same As Long As You Clean Your Back]”, in 銀ぎん魂たま [Silver Soul], volume 39 (fiction, in Japanese), Tokyo: Shueisha, ISBN 978-4-08-870208-7:

     背 (せ)中 (なか)の皮 (かわ)がはがれてるじゃないか屁 (ヘ)怒 (ド)絽 (ロ)兄 (にい)さん

     Senaka no kawa ga hagareteru ja nai ka Hedoro-nii-san

     Did the skin on his back just peel off, big bro Hedoro?

     そんな⁉　お父 (とう)さんは釘 (くぎ)を打 (う)ち込 (こ)んだヘチマで身体 (からだ)を洗 (あら)っていたんだぞ

     Sonna⁉ Otō-san wa kugi o uchikonda hechima de karada o aratteitan da zo

     Really!? Dad used to wash his body with a loofah with nails sticking out of it