Common Hollyhock and Tokugawa Clan 立葵（タチアオイ）と三つ葉葵

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is Alcea rosea or common hollyhock. I've seen it since the beginning of June, but didn't write about it as I had many other flowers to write, i.e., a variety of hibiscuses. But now I know that the season of common hollyhock in Japan will soon end with the rainy season, meaning in a week, I decided to write about this beautiful flower. 

Alcea rosea タチアオイ

Common hollyhock 立葵

Alcea rosea is called "standing hollyhock" and hollyhock has a special connotation in Japan. 

"Triple hollyhock" is the crest of the Tokugawa clan, who ruled Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). This is pretty famous even now because of a long run "samurai" television program portraying Mitsukuni Tokugawa (1628-1701) as a wanderer who castigated the evil powers in every corner of the nation by masquerading as a commoner. In the drama, Mitsukuni uses the "inro" pillbox with the "triple hollyhock" crest on it to prove that he's a Tokugawa clan member.

Interestingly, however, the Tokugawa crest is actually not "triple hollyhock," but birthwort, according to the Toyo Keizai Newspaper. Birthwort is smaller and plain unlike hollyhock...

But if so, a question comes up. Why did someone who wanted to rule the country choose such a plain flower as their crest? The website says that many samurai clans during the age of warring states (1467-1615) chose plain plants as their crests to show that they were strong enough to survive in such harsh circumstances as these plants are. That's why (and because I have no garden) I like weeds!!   

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立葵（タチアオイ）です。よく見かけていたのですがハイビスカスに気を取られてスルーしていたのですが、立葵の季節は梅雨とともに終わると知ったので慌てて書いています。

葵というと「葵の御紋」のイメージが強いですが、徳川家の三つ葉葵の「葵」は実は葵ではなくて「ウマノスズクサ」というもっと地味な植物だそうです。戦国大名には雑草のような植物を家紋にした家が多かったとのこと。雑草パワー強しです！

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