Asian bluetail (Ischnura asiatica) アジアイトトンボ（亜細亜糸蜻蛉）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Something makes you always feel happy, doesn't it? One such thing for me is this dragonfly, the Asian bluetail (Ischnura asiatica). The bright blue tip of the tail is so beautiful. Asian bluetails are common in Japan but because of their thinness, you wouldn't be able to find them so easily.  

2026/8/20

Cherry Caterpillar (Phalera Flavescens) モンクロシャチホコ（紋黒鯱）

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I couldn't believe my eyes. These are so called cherry caterpillars, larvae of Phalera flavescens or a moth. They eat cherry leaves so voraciously from August to October that some trees cannot survive, which is understandable, because I saw several branches covered by the larvae😱!

But more surprisingly, they're edible and some even say they're yummy😱!!! When roasted over a fire, they are traditionally noted for a subtle, pleasant flavor and aroma reminiscent of cherry blossoms from feeding on cherry leaves. This leaves me with a question. Who tried them first? How courageous the person is for trying them!

I went there on the following day, finding all the branches with the larvae having been removed. I don't know whether to feel glad or sad...

2026/8/19

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

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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. 

2026/8/16

Asiatic Dayflower (Commelina Communis) 露草（ツユクサ）

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The Asiatic dayflower (Commelina Communis) is native to eastern Asia and can be found across Japan. It produces blue flowers from June to September in Japan, which look to me like a mantis head. The flower has been appreciated in Japan, mentioned in the Man'yōshū (i.e., the oldest extant collection of Japanese poetry in Classical Japanese), compiled sometime after 759 during the Nara period. 

The plant's Japanese name is "tsuyukusa," which translates into "dew plant," because of its brief lifespan, like morning dew.

2026/8/17

Red Morning Glory (Ipomoea Coccinea) マルバルコウソウ（丸葉縷紅草）

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Red morning glories (Ipomoea coccinea) are native to North America, brought into Japan in the Edo period (1603-1858) for ornamental purposes, and can now be found across Japan. Despite their beauty, however, red morning glories are designated as weeds of concern by the National Agricultural Research Organization of Japan.

2026/8/16

2026/8/16

Angled Sunbeam (Curetis Acuta) ウラギンシジミ（裏銀小灰蝶）

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This is a female angled sunbeam (Curetis acuta), a butterfly which can be found in eastern Asia including Japan. It's easy to tell its male from its female as the male has an orange center on the upperside of its wings while the female has a pale blue center. 

The butterfly's Japanese name is "ura shijimi," which translates into "Lycaenidae with its underside being silver."    

2026/8/16

Pale Blue Golden Dewdrop (Duranta Erecta) 水色のデュランタ

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Deep purple golden dewdrops can be often found but not pale purple ones. The leaf shape and sprawling shrubs are the same but the flower color difference makes them look like different plants. 

2026/8/16

2026/8/16

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

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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. 

2026/8/16

Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa) ヒルザキツキミソウ（昼咲月見草）

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I thought that they were gigantic rosy evening-primroses (Oenothera rosea) at first and found at home they are not but showy evening primroses. This primrose is native to North America and was imported to Japan as an ornamental plant and can now be found across Japan. The primrose produces flowers from May to July in Japan, which are 4-5 cm in diameter and open during only the day. Because of that, its Japanese name is "hiruzaki tsukimisou," which translates into "primrose opening during the day." 

2026/8/15

Skunkvine (Paederia Foetida) 屁糞葛（ヘクソカズラ）

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Skunkvine (Paederia foetida) is native to Asia and can be found across Japan. The perception of the plant in Japan is it's smelly (as in other countries), so its Japanese name is "hé kuso kazura," which translates into "fart shxx vine." The plant is also so hardy that an imperial court official in the Nara period (710-794) composed a waka poem that he wanted to work hardily like the plant. The poem is included in The Manyōshū, i.e., the oldest extant collection of Japanese waka poetry compiled during that period. 

Despite such a terrible name and the smell, however, the flower's glossy red center always reminds me of jam thumbprint cookies. 

2026/8/14

2026/8/14

Bitter Gourd (Momordica Charantia) ゴーヤ（苦瓜）

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Bitter gourds (Momordica charantia) are native to tropical Asia, came to Okinawa, i.e., one of the southern islands in Japan, in the early 15th century, and can now be found across Japan. The gourds are monoecious, which means they produce yellow, male and female flowers from July to August but it's easy to tell because the male has the yellow center while the female has the green center. They usually produce male flowers first to ensure the safe fertilization of the female ones. So, the ratio of male to female in early summer is about 10:1. 

Ripe orange gourds (scroll down) are edible including the red seeds and even jelly like stuff around the seeds. 

2026/8/10  A male flower

2020/8/8  Male and female flowers 雄花と雌花