Carolina Cranesbill (Geranium Carolinianum) アメリカフウロ（亜米利加風露）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Carolina cranesbill (Geranium carolinianum) is native to North America but now can be found across Japan. The plant was discovered in Kyoto in 1932. Carolina cranesbill produces tiny flowers (1 cm in diameter) from late April to June in Japan but its fruits look like devils🤣 (see the last two photos)!    

2026/3/15

2026/3/15

2026/3/15

Crimson Clover ベニバナツメクサ（紅花詰草）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Crimson clovers (Trifolium incarnatum) are native to Europe and West Asia, coming to Japan during the Meiji era (1868-1912) as forage crops. The clovers flower from April to June in Japan but die due to heat in summer.  

2026/3/15

2026/3/15

Weeping Willow (Salix Babylonica) シダレヤナギ（枝垂柳）

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Weeping willow trees are native to China, coming to Japan during the Nara period (710 to 794). The trees are known for their highly flexible, long, and pendulous twigs, under which ghosts are said to appear in Japan. The flowers, however, are unexpectedly pretty. The willows are dioecious and I think those in these pictures are male.   

2026/3/15

2026/3/15

Mottainai - Make it Work or Let it Go? もったいない？あきらめる？

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

"I'll marry him because it's mottainai."

Modesty Matters More Than Honesty 正直より謙遜

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It's often said in Japan that if you’re chatting at someone’s house in Kyoto and are told "ぶぶ漬けでもどうですか（Bubuzuke* demo dodesuka [How about ochazuke])?," the person actually means, "It's time for you to leave." Likewise, if your Japanese coworker says, "今度またお昼でも (Kondo mata ohiru demo [Let's have lunch together sometime])," he or she should really mean that they’ve got to go. * Bubuzuke is a Kyoto word for ochazuke.

Another case in point is a response to "Nihongo ga ojozu desune (You speak Japanese fluently)." In this case, you should say, "Iie, madamada desu (No, my Japanese still isn't good)" even if you fluently speak Japanese. Such a modest (or too modest and dishonest) response makes relationships with Japanese people better because they tend to avoid those speaking honestly and straightforwardly and prefer (too) modest remarks. Honest and straightforward people are often considered rude and inconsiderate even though their remarks are true. (It's like King Lear's response to Cordelia?) 

So, when you ask Japanese people if they speak English, they would unlikely say they do. They would say, "No" or "Yes, but a little." Being honest is not always recommended in Japan. 

1st draft: 6/25/2018

Revised on 3/17/2026

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Red Deadnettle (Lamium Purpureum) ヒメオドリコソウ（姫踊子草）

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Red deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) is native to Europe and came to Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912) and now can be found across Japan. The plant resembles henbit deadnettle very much but their leaf colors differ. Red deadnettle's leaves are (as the name suggests) reddish while henbit deadnettle's leaves are green. I often mistook red deadnettle for henbit but not anymore. The 6th photo shows myrmecochory, i.e., the dispersal of seeds by ants.  

2026/2/23

2026/3/15

Buttercup Witch Hazel (Corylopsis Pauciflora) ヒュウガミズキ（日向水木）

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The winter hazel or the buttercup witch hazel (Corylopsis pauciflora) is native to Japan and Taiwan. This winter hazel resembles another type of winter hazel, Corylopsis spicata, and because of that I couldn't tell which was which but I think I can now. The trees in these photos have a cluster of only 1 to 3 flowers, as opposed to Corylopsis spicata, which usually has a cluster of 5 to 8 flowers.

2026/3/15

2026/3/15

Pink Star Magnolia (Magnolia Stellata) ベニシデコブシ（紅四手辛夷）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) is native to Japan, producing flowers ranging from white to pink. The flowers in these photos are pink ones.

2026/3/15

2026/3/15

Star Magnolia (Magnolia Stellata) シデコブシ（四手辛夷）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) is native to Japan, flowering in early spring. The plant resembles white magnolia (Yulan magnolia), but there are several differences. Star magnolia flowers are star-shaped and a little smaller than white magnolia. The way of flowering is also different, i.e., star magnolia flowers fully open while white magnolias only half open even when in full bloom. 

On 13 September 2025, I found something interesting. A star magnolia tree had several fruits beside another tree with many buds, one of which was half open (4th photo). This is, however, not unusual (at least in Japan). Magnolias are known to flower outside the flowering season due to unusual weather or other reasons. This magnolia tree may have produced buds and flowers in September because of the extremely hot summer this year.

2026/3/15

2024/3/19

Winter Hazel (Corylopsis) ヒュウガミズキ（日向水木）、トサミズキ（土佐水木）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Winter hazel (Corylopsis) is native to eastern Asia and can be found across Japan. The plant produces a cluster of 1 to 8 yellow flowers from March to April. So pretty! 

In Japan, you would see mainly two types of Corylopsis, Corylopsis pauciflora and Corylopsis spicata, and there are several differences according to the internet. A Corylopsis pauciflora tree produces a cluster of 1 to 3 flowers with yellow anthers while a Corylopsis spicata tree is larger, producing a cluster of 7 to 8 flowers with red anthers. So, it should be easy to tell one from the other but it's not for me. The post therefore contains photos of both types. When I become able to tell which is which, I'll create a post for Corylopsis pauciflora and Corylopsis spicata each. 

2026/3/8

2026/3/8

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.    

2026/3/11

2026/3/11