英語の後に日本語が続きます。
What do you see in these photos? I thought it was a strange-shaped grasshopper but you know what? It's a moth! A blue-striped nettle grub (Parasa lepida). I found this on the backside of a leaf of a "drunken" Confederate rose tree. It is a native minor pest found in the Indo-Malayan region, including India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia according to Wikipedia and as an introduced pest, it's currently found across Japan now. The adult (this one) is colorful and cute but its larvae have spines that contain venom.Plants and Flowers in Tokyo & Japanese Culture by Kei Narujima 東京の草花&つぶやき - なるじまけい
Hi! I'm Kei Narujima. This is a blog about flowers/plants🌼and bugs🐛, and sometimes art and unique Japanese culture that make you smile or think (or so I hope)!! こんにちは。花や虫、そして時々日本の文化などについて書いてます😊。税務英語については https://zeimueigo.blogspot.com/ をご覧ください。
Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium Japonicum) エンジュ(槐)
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Cream yellow flowers scattered on the ground made me look up and find a Japanese pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum)."Drunken" Confederate Rose スイフヨウ(酔芙蓉)
These are Confederate roses (Hibiscus mutabilis cv. versicolor) and the first five photos are of one flower, taken at 10:00, 12:30, 15:30 and 16:30, and at 5:30 on the following morning. Because of such a color change from pure white in the morning to pink in the afternoon, this type of Confederate roses is called "drunken Confederate rose" in Japan.
Okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus) オクラ
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I've eaten its fruits numerous times but saw the flowers for the first time. These are okra flowers. Okra flowers resemble Hamabo hibiscuses very much but that's understandable. Both are in the Malvaceae family.
The okra is native to East Africa, coming to Japan at the end of the Edo period (1603 - 1867), and is now used for various dishes, such as salad, tempura, (miso) soup, stew, and saute.
2025/8/15 |
Three Types of Swallowtail Butterflies アゲハ蝶3種
2025/8/8 |
White-Tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum Albistylum) シオカラトンボ(塩辛蜻蛉)
These are white-tailed skimmers (Orthetrum albistylum). The dragonfly is found across Asia and Russia. Males and females can be distinguished by color. Males are bluish while females are yellowish. The thing is young males are also yellowish, which makes it difficult to distinguish young males from females.
2025/8/2 Female |
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2022/8/13 Male |
Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia Indica) サルスベリ(百日紅)
Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is native to China, coming to Japan before the Edo period (1603 - 1867) and can be found across Japan now. The tree produces flowers in various colors, white, pink, and red. Its leaves turn orange and red beautifully in autumn and the dark brown fruits are also beautiful.
- Prosperity;
- Good luck;
- Chastity;
- Good luck in love and marriage; and
- Marital fidelity.
But here in Japan, it means:
- Charm and;
- Carelessness.
Five-Seeded Plume-Poppy (Macleaya Cordata) タケニグサ(竹似草)
This is five-seeded plume-poppy (Macleaya cordata). The plant is native to China, Taiwan, and Japan and can be found across Japan. Its Japanese name is "takeni gusa," which translates into "plant similar to bamboo," after it having hollow stems like bamboos.
Popcorn Hydrangea (Hydrangea Macrophylla Ayesha) ウズアジサイ(渦紫陽花)
They're one of my favorite hydrangeas, popcorn hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla Ayesha). Needless to say, the hydrangea is named after the shape of its sepals, which resembles that of popcorns.
Camellia Fruits (Camellia Japonica and Camellia Sasanqua) 椿と山茶花の実
Camellia trees in my neighborhood have started fruit and one of the differences between the Camellia japonica and the Camellia sasanqua is the fruit.
2025/7/10 Camellia japonica |
Tall Stewartia (Stewartia Monadelpha) ヒメシャラ(姫沙羅)
Tall stewartia (Stewartia monadelpha) is native to Japan and can be found in the Kanagawa prefecture (next to Tokyo) and the southern areas. The plant is in the Theaceae family, the same as Japanese camellia. You can see the resemblance of the flowers to camellias. Tall stewartia produces flowers from May to August and fruits generally from October to November but a tree in my neighborhood fruited in August last year and has started to fruit since July this year. And that's not the end. After turning brown, the fruits crack, which look like a crow screaming! (Scroll down! That's funny.)
2025/5/31 |
Blue-Striped Nettle Grub (Parasa Lepida) ヒロヘリアオイラガ(広縁青毒棘蛾)
英語の後に日本語が続きます。 What do you see in these photos? I thought it was a strange-shaped grasshopper but you know what? It's a moth! A blue-str...
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英語の後に日本語が続きます。 I read "A Pale View of Hills" by Kazuo Ishiguro a few years ago. The book was my second Ishiguro's book after...
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Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。 This is prunus persica in Tokyo National Museum . The branches weep down to the ground and the flow...