Common Straight Swift (Parnara Guttata) イチモンジセセリ（一文字挵）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The common straight swift (Parnara guttata) can be found across, and is loved in, Japan. Moths open wings when resting while most butterflies rest with their wings closed but common straight swift butterflies sometimes rest with open wings to absorb the warmth of the sun, thanks to which I've learned that their back is green (scroll down). Also scroll down to see an ant carrying a dead common straight swift.  

The common straight swift's Japanese name is "ichimonji seseri," which translates into "straight line skipper" after its white spots in a straight line while small branded swift (Pelopidas mathias), which has white spots in a circle, has a Japanese name "chabane seseri," which translates into "brown wing skipper."   

I really love common straight swift butterflies for their squirrel-like cute eyes. 

2026/8/7

Giant Crinum Lily (Crinum Asiaticum) ハマユウ（浜木綿）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Giant crinum lilies (Crinum asiaticum) are native to tropical and eastern Asia and can be found in mainly the southern half of Japan, producing white flowers in summer. As you can see from the flower shape, the lilies are in the Amaryllidaceae family, the same as red spider lilies and so are toxic in their entirety. The thin orangish things on the flower are stamens.

Giant crinum lilies have been loved by Japanese people for so long that the Man'yōshū, i.e., the oldest extant collection of Japanese waka (poetry in Classical Japanese) compiled during the Nara period (710 to 794), includes a waka about the lilies. More than ten municipalities in Japan have designated the lilies as their flower. 

2024/9/3

Hamilton's Spindletree (Euonymus Hamiltonianus) マユミ（檀）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Some plants bring you happiness through the year and Hamilton's spindletree (Euonymus hamiltonianus) is one of them. The plant is native to East Asia and can be found across Japan. It produces tiny cream flowers from May to June and fruits in autumn. The fruits are four-lobed and green at the beginning, then turn pale pink, and crack to show seeds with red arils in autumn.

A good thing about photographing plants is to make people more talkative. When I was photographing the fruits in September, two women approached me asking what they were. I said they were the fruits of Hamilton's spindletree but the women insisted they couldn't be fruits but buds to flower soon. It was fun talking with strangers about little things.

2026/4/24

2025/5/9

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

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.

2026/8/5

2022/8/1

Persian Silk Tree (Albizia Julibrissin) ネムノキ（合歓木）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Persian silk trees or pink silk trees (Albizia julibrissin) are native to southwestern and eastern Asia and can be found across Japan, producing "silk-like" pink flowers from June to July in Japan. They fold their leaves during the night, which makes them look asleep, so their Japanese name is "nemu no ki," which translates to "sleeping tree."  

A Persian silk tree is popular in Japan as suggested by it being a kigo* for summer. It's also often used as a theme for paintings, such as the one in the last photo "Sparrow in a silk tree" by Keibun Matsumura at Tokyo National Museum.

* Kigo are words or phrases that are associated with a particular season in haiku or Japanese poetry.

Persian silk trees are in the Fabaceae family, so produce seed pods which resemble flattened bean pods (scroll down). 

2023/9/9

White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth (Theretra Oldenlandiae) セスジスズメ（背筋雀）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Impatiens hawkmoths or white-banded hunter hawkmoths (Theretra oldenlandia) can be found across Japan. Their caterpillars are beautifully black with a stark contrast with orange spots while the adults are cool, looking like fighter aircrafts. The adults can be found from May to October in Japan.   

2026/8/5

2026/8/5

Purple Heart (Tradescantia Pallida) ムラサキゴテン（紫御殿）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Purple heart (Tradescantia pallida) is native to Mexico, came to Japan in around 1955, and can now be found across the country. The plant produces purple flowers from June to September, which creates a beautiful contrast with its deep purple leaves and yellow stamens.  

Speaking of purple, Japan has several types of purple, e.g., Kyo murasaki or Kyoto purple and Edo murasaki or Tokyo purple. Both are made from purple gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon), but Kyoto purple is older and more reddish than Tokyo purple.

I compared the two purple colors, wondering which purple the Tradescantia pallida leaves are, but couldn't decide. To me, these leaves look just between Kyoto and Tokyo purple. So, I have decided to call it "Nagoya" purple, i.e., the purple of a city between Kyoto and Tokyo!😆

2026/8/4

2020/10/6

Apple Mint (Mentha Suaveolens) アップルミント

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

A weevil was resting on, and a bee was gathering pollen from, flowers of apple mints in my neighborhood. They're growing on the sidewalk. I have no idea about how they got there. 

2026/6/13

2026/6/13

Fruits of Cornus Florida (Flowering Dogwood) 花水木（ハナミズキ）の実

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are fruits (drupes) of Cornus florida or dogwood flowers. The fruits don't resemble those of Cornus kousa but the flowers of the two Cornus species do. You may not know but the autumn leaves of Cornus florida are gorgeous. 

2026/7/31

Butterfly Bush (Buddleja Davidii) フサフジウツギ（房藤空木）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) is native to western China, came to Japan in 1890, and can now be found across Japan, producing white and pink flowers from July to October. Those in these photos grow in a vacant lot in Central Tokyo on which a house or something is to be built. This means they should be removed soon.  

2026/7/30

Sweet Viburnum (Viburnum Odoratissimum) サンゴジュ（珊瑚樹）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Sweet viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) is native to Asia and can be found across Japan. The tree produces clusters of white flowers from June to July and red berries from July to October in Japan and because of the color of the berries, the tree's Japanese name is "sango ju," which translates into "coral tree." The berries are beautiful but toxic. 

2026/5/28