The Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata) is native to Japan and Korea and can be found across Japan. Chestnuts are used for many dishes in Japan, not only sweets but also mixed rice or kuri gohan.
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。
Japanese Chestnut (Castanea Crenata) 日本グリ(和栗)
The Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata) is native to Japan and Korea and can be found across Japan. Chestnuts are used for many dishes in Japan, not only sweets but also mixed rice or kuri gohan.
Orange Sweet Osmanthus (Osmanthus Fragrans Var. Aurantiacus) キンモクセイ(金木犀)
Orange sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus), a variety of sweet osmanthus, is native to China and came to Japan in the 17th century. As its name suggests, the flowers are so fragrant that orange sweet osmanthus is designated as one of the three most fragrant flowers in Japan together with winter daphne and cape jasmine.
Pink and White Bush Clovers (Lespedeza Buergeri) キハギ(木萩)
2025/10/18 |
2025/10/18 |
Greater Death's Head Hawkmoth (Acherontia Lachesis) クロメンガタスズメ(黒面形天蛾)
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
I believe this is a caterpillar of a bee robber or greater death's head hawkmoth (Acherontia lachesis). I've seen many caterpillars and always find it difficult to know what it is but this is an easy one because of its size.
A larva of the bee robber is as long as 10 cm - 12 cm and changes its color. The caterpillar in the photo is on a stem with its head on top. Its Japanese name is "kuromengata suzume," translating to "black face hawkmoth" after a black (or skull) face on its thorax. Unusually, its English and Japanese names coincide, which makes me want to see its adults.
Japanese Cornel (Cornus Officinalis) サンシュユ(山茱萸)
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 before leaves and berries that get redder from October to November.
Linden Arrowwood (Viburnum Dilatatum) ガマズミ(莢蒾)
2025/10/14 |
2025/10/5 |
2025/9/23 |
Common Straight Swift (Parnara guttata) イチモンジセセリ(一文字挵)
Butterflies usually fold wings when resting while moths with open wings. The common straight swift (Parnara guttata) is a butterfly but sometimes rests with open wings to absorb the warmth of the sun, thanks to which I've learned that their back is green (in the 1st and 2nd photos). The 3rd photo is of an ant carrying a dead common straight swift.
2025/10/13 |
2025/10/13 |
2025/10/13 |
Plains Cupid (Luthrodes Pandava) クロマダラソテツシジミ(黒斑蘇鉄小灰蝶)
Plains cupid or cycad blue (Luthrodes pandava) resembles pale grass blue. Both are beautifully shiny blue gray on the upper side. One of the distinct differences between the two (I can tell) though is that the former has an orange spot on the underside.
Pink Clematis ピンクのクレマチス
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
There are various types of clematis in terms of color, the number of petals, and whether single or double-flowered. These are single flowered pink clematis with only four petals. Clematis can be found across the globe. They generally flower from spring to autumn but some flower only once a year while others everblooming.
This clematis had only two flowers, suggesting its being near the end of flowering season.
2025/10/3 |
2025/10/3 |
Mealycup Sage & Maile Pilau Hornworm サルビア・ファリナセア & ホシホウジャク
英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Mealycup sages (Salvia farinacea) are native to North America and Mexico. They're perennial there but annual in Japan. Hovering over them are burnt-spot hummingbird hawkmoths (Macroglossum pyrrhosticta). Surprisingly to me, they're not bees or wasps but moths. I've seen them many times, but they move from one flower to another so swiftly that I had no chance to photograph them. Today, however, while I was taking photos of the sages, hawkmoths came to the flowers, luckily giving me the chance to take pictures of them. Their larvae's host plants are skunkvine.
2025/10/3 |
2025/10/3 |
2025/10/3 |
Lespedeza (Bush Clovers) 萩(ハギ)
Bush clovers are native to East Asia and can be found across Japan, flowering from July to September. The term "bush clover" is a kigo, i.e., a seasonal word or phrase associated with a particular season used in traditional forms of Japanese poetry, for autumn, but Lespedeza actually flowers from early summer to autumn.
2025/10/4 |
2021/6/4 Japanese bush clovers at Kan'-ei-ji temple in Ueno 上野寛永寺の萩 |
2021/6/4 Lespedeza at Kan'-ei-ji temple in Ueno 上野寛永寺の萩 |
2020/9/27 Mukojima Hykkaen Garden, 向島百花園 |
Japanese Chestnut (Castanea Crenata) 日本グリ(和栗)
英語の後に日本語が続きます。 The Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata) is native to Japan and Korea and can be found across Japan. Chestnuts are used for m...
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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...