Chinese Parasol Tree (Firmiana Simplex) アオギリ（青桐）

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The Chinese parasol tree (Firmiana simplex) is native to southern China and southeast Asia and can be found across Japan, producing flowers from May to July and seedpods in autumn. 

I've walked around the tree many times but it wasn't until I saw the seedpods and their pea-like seeds scattered on the ground that I noticed the tree's presence. The seeds are edible when roasted. 

2026/7/29

Geometer Moth シャクガ

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The moth looks like a small purplish gray (Iridopsis humaria) but it can't. A small purplish gray exists in only North America according to information on the internet. 

2026/7/26

Pale Grass Blue (Pseudozizeeria Maha) 大和小灰蝶（ヤマトシジミ）

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A male pale grass blue (Pseudozizeeria maha) butterfly looks completely different when its wings are open (1st photo) and closed (2nd photo). When closed, you may disregard it because it's plain, just a small white butterfly with black spots. When the wings are open, however, you would be surprised by the beautiful pale blue of the upper side of its wings as suggested by the name. (If you want to see the butterfly showing both sides, see the 3rd photo.) Butterflies are known to open their wings to bask in the sun to warm their bodies, so you're more likely to see the beautiful blue in autumn than summer.   

The pale grass blue resembles the plains cupid (Luthrodes pandava) very much except for the latter having orange spots on the wings. I once mistook a plains cupid for a pale grass blue.   

2025/11/2

Pink Pavonia (Pavonia Hastata) ヤノネボンテンカ（矢の根梵天花）

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Pink pavonia (Pavonia hastata) is native to South America and was introduced to Japan for ornamental purposes. It produces pinkish white flowers from August to September. The flower has a red throat, creating a beautiful contrast with its pink petals.

2026/7/29

2026/7/29

Hydrangea 'Magical Revolution' マジカルレボリューション

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Hydrangea macrophylla 'Magical Revolution' is really magical from two perspectives. Firstly, its spectacular, color-shifting transformation. The hydrangea changes from pale pink, blue, and green in early summer to red toward autumn. (Scroll down!) Secondly, its long life! The hydrangea's sepals (not petals!) are so sturdy that they can bloom for two to three months while changing color.  

It changes color to red in autumn due to increasing anthocyanin resulting from a change in the temperature and/or the amount of ultraviolet radiation. For whatever the reason, the hydrangea is just magically amazing. 

2026/5/29

2026/6/2

Cicada セミ

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The season for cicadas to shed their outer shells has started! The season usually lasts from early July to late September in Japan and surprisingly, the shells are used as an ingredient to make a Chinese herbal medicine (a cicada shell is not a herb though)! The medicine is pretty popular and effective to treat skin rash. 

One year, I found an outer shell, then an adult cicada nearby. It didn't move an inch or make any sounds, which gave me time to look at it and made me realize that cicadas are so beautiful.   

2026/7/28

Yellow Spotted Stink Bug キマダラカメムシ（黄斑亀虫）

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Eggs of yellow spotted stink bugs (Erthesina fullo) hatch into nymphs as below. 

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Below is a record of 2025/6/12 I found their eggs for the first time.

On 12 June 2025 (scroll down), I found a circle the size of a quarter dollar coin on a leaf of Chinese tallow (3rd photo). Then, five days later (i.e., on 17 June), they'd become like in the 2nd photo and for the last day since then, they have changed like in the 1st photo! Every bug is small but you can clearly see each is a yellow spotted stink bug. They've changed not only their appearance but also have started to move. The one in the upper right of the 1st photo was running toward the backside of the leaf. They may not be there tomorrow, which makes me feel a bit sad and relieved a lot.   

P.S.
On 19 June 2025, I went there again to check up on them, finding them like in the 1st photo. All larvae are all gone but two on the eggs in the 1st photo and one each in the 2nd and 3rd photos.

2026/7/28 After hatching

2026/7/16

Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia Indica) サルスベリ（百日紅）

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Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is native to China, coming to Japan before the Edo period (1603 - 1867) and can now be found across Japan. 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.   

The crepe myrtle has two names in Japan, "saru suberi," which translates to "monkeys slip" because of its slippery bark, on which even monkeys (are said to) slip, and "hyaku jitsu ko," which translates to "red for one hundred days," after that the crepe myrtle flowers bloom for a long period of time.

According to Flower Meanings, the crepe myrtle flower means;
- Prosperity;
- Good luck;
- Chastity;
- Good luck in love and marriage; and
- Marital fidelity.

But here in Japan, it means:

- Eloquence;
- Charm and;
- Carelessness.

2026/7/28

2022/8/1

Harlequin Glorybower (Clerodendrum Trichotomum) 臭木（クサギ）

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Harlequin glorybower (Clerodendrum trichotomum) is native to east Asia and can be found across Japan, producing flowers from July to September and fruits from October to November. Its Japanese name is "kusagi," which translates into "smelly tree," after its stems and leaves are smelly. Its fruits are blue, surrounded by red calyxes in autumn, which forms a beautiful stark color contrast.  

2026/7/26

2021/9/6

White-Tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum Albistylum) シオカラトンボ（塩辛蜻蛉）

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White-tailed skimmers (Orthetrum albistylum) are 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. 

White-tailed skimmer dragonflies are called "shiokara tombo" in Japanese, which translates into "salty dragonfly," after their white powdery substance developed on their abdomen.

2026/7/26  Female

2022/8/13  Male

Lithocarpus Edulis (Japanese Stone Oak) 馬刀葉椎（マテバシイ）

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The Japanese stone oak (Lithocarpus edulis) is native to Japan and can be found across the country. The nuts are edible, tasting like chestnuts when baked (according to a website).  

In Japan, the nuts of Fagaceae trees, one of which is the Japanese stone oak, are collectively called "donguri" and there's a famous song for children about an acorn falling into a pond "Donguri korokoro (i.e., Rolling acorn)."    

The tree's Japanese name is "mateba shii," which translates into "a tree becoming a chinquapin tree soon," because people prefer(ed) chinquapin nuts to the Japanese stone oak nuts.

2026/7/26