Monk's Cress (Tropaeolum Majus) ナスタチウム/キンレンカ（金蓮花）

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I've been growing herbs recently but this is mainly to use them for cooking but I realize I can enjoy them aesthetically, so I put monk's cress and oregano flowers, and mint in a glass. 

2026/7/12

Small Branded Swift (Pelopidas Mathias) チャバネセセリ（茶羽挵）

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The small branded swift can be seen in east Asia and Oceania. The butterfly resembles the common straight swift very much but the small branded swift has white spots in a circle while the common straight swift (Parnara guttata) has such spots in a straight line. 

2026/7/12

Small Copper (Lycaena Phlaeas) ベニシジミ（紅小灰蝶）

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The small copper (Lycaena phlaeas) flies from March to November in Japan, so it's not unusual to see them but it was my first time to see them, not one but two! Their orange forewings caught my eye. The butterfly's coloration changes slightly across seasons; spring broods are typically brighter while summer ones become darker and more muted. I can't say for sure but one of them seems like a spring brood and the other a summer one. Scroll down to see the two together in a photo.  

2026/7/12

2026/7/12

Water Celery (Oenanthe Javanica) セリ

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The water celery (Oenanthe javanica) is native to east Asia and can be found across Japan, producing small white flowers in August. The plant is aromatic and edible in its entirety including the roots. One of my favorite recipes is ohitashi, i.e., boiling and seasoning them with bonito dashi stock and soy sauce.

2026/7/9

2026/7/9

Aromaticus (Plectranthus Amboinicus) アロマティカス

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The aromaticus (Plectranthus amboinicus) is primarily native to Southern and Eastern Africa and has been seen in Japan since the 2000s. I've taken an early morning walk for more than five years and this is my second time to find herbs growing wild on the sidewalk.   

The one I found for the first time was apple mints. I took several stems home and have planted them in a pot. The incredible resilience of herbs always makes me feel motivated and energized. 

2026/7/10

Asian Jumpseed (Persicaria Filiformis) ミズヒキ（水引）

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The Asian Jumpseed (Persicaria filiformis) is native to East, South, and Southeast Asia and can be found across Japan, producing tiny flowers from August to October. The plant has no petals instead has four sepals, of which three are red and the other is white. Its Japanese name is "mizuhiki," i.e., an ancient Japanese artform of knot-tying, most commonly used to decorate Japanese ceremonial envelopes.

2026/7/5

Japanese Bindweed ヒルガオと虫たち

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The Japanese bindweed (Calystegia pubescens) is native to east Asia and can be found across Japan, producing pale pink flowers from June to August, which attract a variety of bugs, e.g.,  common straight swift butterflies and a marmalade and other hoverflies, as shown in these pictures.  

2026/7/9

Lysimachia Clethroides (Gooseneck Loosestrife) 丘虎の尾（オカトラノオ）

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The gooseneck loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides) is native to east Asia and can be found across Japan, producing white flowers from June to August. It's edible and used to be eaten in Japan as a famine plant (although it tastes bitter and astringent). The plant's Japanese name is "Okatora no o," which translates into "tiger tail growing on hills," after its flower spikes looking like tiger tails.  

2026/7/5 With a marmalade hoverfly

Ornamental Oregano (Origanum 'Kent Beauty') オレガノケントビューティー

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The ornamental oregano (Origanum 'Kent Beauty') is native to Europe, came to Japan in the late 1990s, and is now grown by many for ornamental purposes. The plant is highly sensitive to humidity, but the subshrub I found grows wild in Central Tokyo, which is humid almost throughout the year. The survivability and resilience of plants often amazes me and this oregano is one of them. 

2026/7/9

Fragrant Evening-Primrose (Oenothera Stricta) マツヨイグサ（待宵草）

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Fragrant evening-primrose (Oenothera stricta) is native to South America, was imported to Japan in the late 19th century, and can now be found across Japan. This evening-primrose resembles common evening-primrose (Oenothera biennis) very much with one easy-to-tell difference, i.e., fragrant evening primroses turn orange as they wither. The other flower in the pictures, which has turned orange, told me these were not common but fragrant evening primroses. 

2026/7/9

Blueberry ブルーベリー

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The blueberry is native to North America but can now be found across Japan, producing flowers from April to May and fruits from early June to early September in Japan. Surprisingly, Tokyo is the largest producer of blueberries in Japan. 

2026/7/9