Daffodil (Narcissus) スイセン（水仙）

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Daffodils (Narcissus) are native to southern Europe and North Africa and came to Japan in the Heian (794-1185) or the Kamakura period (1185-1333) through China and have been cherished in Japan since then. Their Japanese name in Chinese characters is "suisen," the same as their Chinese name, which translates into "legendary water spirit" after their innocent, pure, and immortal appearance and growth by the water. 

There are various types of daffodils (e.g., yellow daffodils and double-flowered daffodils) and their flowering season differs. Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis  (i.e., Japanese daffodils) flowers from December to February while the European ones from February to April. 

2026/1/10

2026/1/10

2024/2/2

Buddhism Terms are Puzzling - "Other Power" vs. "Own Power" 自力 vs. 他力

I'm from a Buddhist family, so technically I'm a Buddhist, specifically from the Jodo Shinshu or True Pure Land school. This school (hereinafter "the True Pure Land school") was founded by Shinran (1173-1263) during the Kamakura period (late 12th century to 1333) and is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan. The school teaches that enlightenment can be realized only through "tariki," which literally translates into "other power."  

Kenilworth Ivy (Cymbalaria Muralis) ツタバウンラン（蔦葉海蘭）

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The Kenilworth ivy (Cymbalaria muralis) is native to Europe and came to Japan at the beginning of the Taisho period (1912-1926). Now, the plant can be found across Japan. The plant is said to flower from spring to autumn but I've seen it flower in winter for the last couple of years. Despite its innocent appearance, the Kenilworth ivy is very hardy. Many websites in Japan deal with how to remove the plant. The Kenilworth ivy is known to produce purple flowers but it produces white flowers, too.

2026/1/8

2026/1/8

Bermuda Buttercup (Oxalis Pes-Caprae) オオキバナカタバミ（大黄花酢漿草）

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The bright yellow caught my eye. Bermuda buttercups (Oxalis pes-caprae) are native to South Africa but can be found across Japan. The oxalis usually blooms from March to May but I think it flowers almost throughout the year or am I mistaken? The Bermuda buttercup's leaves have purple spots, which is a key to distinguishing them from other oxalises. They're hardy and flower nearly throughout the year, which makes me think of growing them myself.  

2021/4/10

2025/1/4

Chinese Cucumber and Pumpkin Beetle 黄烏瓜と黒瓜葉虫

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Chinese cucumbers (Trichosanthes kirilowii) are native to China and Japan. They're dioecious, producing white "hairy" flowers from June to September and fruits from August to October. The fruits are green at first and then turn yellow. They're edible but not tasty. Someone says on the internet that he would never eat it unless famine comes😆. It's not so difficult to find Chinese cucumber flowers in Tokyo but not so when it comes to the fruits. It seems Chinese cucumbers are removed when the flower season is over.     

When you see the flowers, you would likely see pumpkin beetles (Aulacophora nigripennis), too. Pumpkin beetles are harmful but their tininess, agility and color contrast between orange and black never fails to bring me a smile.  

2022/6/28

2024/6/12

Japanese Taj Mahal and Family War 本願寺は父子戦争の結果

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I've never been to the Taj Mahal but felt as if I had been there.

This is Tsukiji Hongwanji temple (whose website is only in Japanese) in Tsukiji Tokyo. It was first built in 1617 but rebuilt in 1934 after being burnt down in a fire in 1923 based on the design by Chuta Ito, a Japanese architect who studied Indian architecture. So, no wonder that I was reminded of the Taj Mahal when looking at this Japanese temple.

Tsukiji Hongwanji temple is one of more than 10,000 temples across Japan of the Jodo Shin shu school, the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan with Nishi Hongwanji temple in Kyoto as the head temple.

Kyoto has several Hongwanji temples including the two most famous ones, i.e., Nishi Hongwanji temple (the head temple) and Higashi Hongwanji temple, and they have an interesting background as outlined in the table below the pictures of Tsukiji Hongwanji temple. The term "nishi" means west while "higashi" east.

2020/1/17 Japanese Taj Mahal? タージマハル？

Winter Cherry (Cerasus x Parvifolia/Cerasus Subhirtella) フユザクラ（冬桜）

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The winter cherry (Cerasus x parvifolia 'Fuyu-zakura') is a crossbreed of Cerasus incisa and Cerasus speciosa. The cherry differs from other cherry trees in its time of blossoming. The winter cherry blossoms twice a year, in early April and in winter (from October to December), because of which the cherry tree is called "winter cherry" in Japan. 

It has another name "koba zakura," which translates into "small leaf cherry" for its relatively smaller leaves. The winter cherry blossoms are less gorgeous but stay longer than other cherry blossoms, which generally fall in two weeks.    

Some say when passing by a winter cherry tree that it's silly, blooming out of season but at such times I always say in my mind "It's you who are silly😝."    

2021/11/25

2022/12/9

Japanese Cornel (Cornus Officinalis) サンシュユ（山茱萸）

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The Japanese cornel (Cornus officinalis) is native to China, Korea, and Japan and can be found across Japan. The tree produces umbels of bright yellow flowers from March to April and berries that get redder from October to November. 

The bright yellow of Japanese cornel flowers is called a "vitamin color" in Japan because it's said to energize people, which I believe is true. In spring, many stop in front of the trees to look at their pretty flowers talking about the joy of spring but surprisingly and sadly, most don't know the Japanese cornel. The Japanese cornel is one of the most underestimated trees because of their blossoming at almost the same time as cherry and Japanese apricot trees.    

2025/3/20

2025/3/9

What is "Mushin"? 無心とは？

Have you ever heard of the term "mushin"? It's a Zen word, written as "無心" in Japanese Chinese characters (kanji). So, you may have heard of it if you're interested in Zen and/or Buddhism. Mushin can literally translate into "no mind" because 無 means non-existence and 心 mind. According to Kojien dictionary, mushin means as follows: 

Wintersweet (Chimonanthus Praecox ‘Luteus’/Chimonanthus Praecox F. Concolor) ソシンロウバイ（蘇秦蝋梅）

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These are wintersweet blossoms. The plant is native to China and came to Japan at the beginning of the Edo period (1603 to 1868). Wintersweet blooms in January and February and of several types, you would mostly see Chimonanthus praecox ‘Luteus’/Chimonanthus praecox f. concolor in Tokyo. The blossoms of this type are yellow in their entirety while another type, Chimonanthus praecox, has a purple red inner part. Despite their beauty, all parts of the wintersweet are toxic. 

2022/1/10

2023/1/22

2024/1/15

Pink Chinese Plum/Japanese Apricot Blossoms (Prunus Mume) 紅梅

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Chinese plum/Japanese apricot trees (Prunus mume) are native to China and came to Japan about 1,500 years ago. Since then, the tree has been cherished (e.g., blossoms viewed and fruits eaten) by Japanese people. Today, a symbol of spring in Japan is cherry blossoms but during the Nara period (710 to 794), it was definitely Prunus mume blossoms as supported by the fact that Mannyōshū (i.e., the oldest extant collection of Japanese poetry compiled during the Nara period) includes more poems about plum blossoms than those about cherry blossoms. 

Chinese plum trees generally start to bloom in January but some do so in late December.

2021/2/1

2021/2/1

2025/1/21