Ipomoea Coccinea (Red Morning Glory)　丸葉縷紅草

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

This is ipomoea coccinea or red morning glory. So tiny, so orange, and so pretty isn't it?

Ipomoea coccinea 丸葉縷紅草
Red morning glory マルバルコウソウ

So tiny!! ちっちゃい！

Red morning glory is a star-like flower with five petals, small but elegant. It's called "round leaf cypress vine" in Japanese because it's in the cypress vine family and has round leaves. 

The language of the flower is "I'm busy," which reminded me of my nephew, who told me, "I'm busy," when I asked him something while he was eating curry rice or something. He was just two or three years old, so adorable and yes, I was wrong talking to him while eating......😆 

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ちっちゃいのにこの存在感｡｡｡ 可愛くないですか！ ヘ〇ソカズラみたいに、可愛いけど差別されているのでは｡｡｡と心配もしたのですが大丈夫でした。「丸葉縷紅草」という立派な名前がついてました。

花言葉は「私は忙しい」。ムムム？これってカレーライスを食べているときに話しかけて２歳の甥に言い返されたことです。２歳の子に「僕忙しいから」と言われるなんて普通ないですよね😆 今でも思い出すたびにクスッとなります。

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Chinese Trumpet Vine　凌霄花（ノウゼンカズラ）

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

These are the best photographs of Chinese trumpet vine I've taken this summer. I saw and took pictures of the flower for nearly two months, but didn't like them because of brown spots on the orange petals. They were beautiful from a distance, but not up close. So, finding these perfect trumpet vines both from afar and up close made me very happy!

Chinese trumpet vine ノウゼンカズラ
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Bougainvillea　ブーゲンビリア

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

This is bougainvillea. I have heard of the flower many times, but I first saw it last week. The color pink is so bright, catching my eye!! 

Bougainvillea ブーゲンビリア

Pink "bracts" ピンクの「苞」

Cream yellow "petals"! 薄黄が花弁！

I like flowers whose not petals but bracts are showy, like bougainvillea and flowering dogwood. 

Bougainvillea was named after Louis Antoine de Bougainvillea, and it's called in Japanese also "bu-gainbiliya," Japanese pronunciation of bougainvillea, but it has other Japanese names. One is "ikada kazura," meaning a "raft vine" after the shape of the pink bract looking like a raft and the cream yellow petal a boatman. Another is "kokonoe kazura" or "multi-layered vine."  

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ブーゲンビリアです！聞いたことはありましたが見たのは初めて。色がホントに綺麗です！で気づいたことが一つ。私、花弁より苞が好きなようです。ハナミズキも苞が綺麗です。

ちなみに和名は筏葛（イカダカズラ）、九重葛（ココノエカズラ）。筏葛は苞を筏に、花弁を船頭に見立てています。

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Netsuke - Boss　根付 - ボス

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

Are you a boss or do you have a boss? No matter what kind of boss you are or have, don't be or have a boss like this🤣!

This is "Boss," a netsuke sculpture carved from ebony by Kozan Fukuyama, a Japanese netsuke carver.

"Boss" by Kozan Fukuyama
「ボス」福山恒山

A few months ago, Takayuki Miyazawa, a Japanese virus expert, said, "Don't pick your nose (to prevent you from being infected by coronavirus)!" Now, nose picking is a life or death issue...

You can see this netsuke at Tokyo National Museum. If you want to see other netsuke, read the following posts!
- Netsuke - Sheep

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あなたはどんなボスですか？どんなボスをお持ちですか？どんなボスでもいいのですがこういうのだけは勘弁してください！東京国立博物館の福山恒山作「ボス」です。

少し前に宮沢孝幸先生がコロナ感染を防ぐために「鼻をほじるな」とツイートしておられました。今や鼻ホジホジは生死の問題。皆さん間違っても鼻をほじるのはやめましょう！

ちなみに「鼻をほじるな」は英語では「Don't pick your nose」。是非覚えて使ってみましょう😁

根付がお好きな方は是非以下の記事もご覧ください！

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Sponge Gourd　ヘチマ

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

This is a sponge gourd flower. The contrast between yellow and deep green is so beautiful!

The leaf is so green and large! 葉っぱ大きい！
   
Season of sponge gourd flowers へちまの花の季節

The color deep green is relaxing 深い緑に落ち着きました

As I wrote in "Gourds in Various Forms - Netsuke, Pickle....," Japan has various gourds and they are called different names without including the term "うり (uri) or gourd," which makes it difficult to see that they are all in the gourd family. The sponge gourd is not the exception, called "hechima" and has an interesting history on how it started to be called as such.

A sponge gourd was originally called (according to Wikipedia) "いとうり or "ito uri," meaning "thread gourd" and then changed as follows:

いとうり　"ito uri" 
→とうり　"to uri" 
→へちま　"hechima"

First, "i" of "ito uri" disappeared, resulting in only "to" remaining with "uri," which means gourd.

The letter "to" is between "he (へ)" and "chi (ち)" in the old Japanese alphabet, i.e., いろは, as below.

い　ろ　は　に　ほ　へ　と　ち　り　ぬ　る　を........
 i      ro     ha    ni     ho   he    to    chi    ri     nu    ru    wo.......

And between is in Japanese "ma" or "ま." So, all in all: 

"To" gourd is between "he" and "chi."
 と    うり   =　ま(ma)   へ           ち　　→　へちま（hechima）Got it?😉

Sponge gourds have male and female flowers, but I haven't been able to find female flowers yet..... 

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近所のへちまです。黄色と緑のコントラストが鮮やかです！

「ひさごの根付、奈良漬け、炒め物」でも書きましたが、英語で「xxxx gourd」で済むものが、日本語だと、ひさご、瓢箪、ゴーヤ、苦瓜、へちま等、いろいろあるから大変、かつ、ウリ科であることが分かりにくい！でもおいしいから許します🥰

へちまの名は、いとうりが後に縮まって「とうり（と瓜）」と転訛し、「と」はいろは歌で「へ」と「ち」の間にあることから「へち間」の意で「へちま」と呼ばれるようになったそうです。（出典：Wikipedia）

ちなみに雄の花しかありませんでした。最近一生懸命雌の花を探しております｡｡｡

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Where Am I? - White-Tailed Skimmer　シオカラトンボを探せ！

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

Can you find where a dragonfly is?

Find a white-tailed skimmer! トンボを探せ！

Did you find it? 分かりました？

I'm here!! ここで～す！

It'd been nearly ten days since I last went out for morning walk. Things had not changed much because of the extreme heat, i.e., no new flowers or plants, but I found this.

This dragonfly is called "shiokara tombo" in Japanese, meaning "salty dragonfly" because of a white powdery substance developed on its males' abdomen.

I used to catch dragonflies and other bugs with my bare hands, but not anymore. I can't touch them now - just thinking about touching them makes me feel EWWW😨, but this change also made me miss my childhood days...

Dragonflies are common and can be seen across Japan from April to October.    

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シオカラトンボです（だと思います）。ゴーヤを撮っていたら見つけました。撮ってくださいと言わんばかりの様子に思わずパシャパシャしました。

成熟した雄の腹部が灰白色の粉で覆われるため、それを塩に見立てたのが名前の由来だそうです。

子供の時はトンボも他の虫も平気で素手で捕まえていましたが今は想像するだけでダメ。少し寂しい気持ちになりました｡｡｡

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Netsuke - Sheep　根付「ひつじ」と不可算名詞

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

This is "Sheep," a netsuke sculpture carved from amber with makie painting by Kinuyo Hariya, a Japanese netsuke carver and makie painter.  

"Sheep" by Kinuyo Hariya　ひつじ - 針谷絹代

Carved from amber with makie painting of sheep
琥珀＆蒔絵　黒い羊の意味は｡｡｡？

It has a black sheep on it, so I searched for information about what the carver meant by it, but couldn't find anything and instead it reminded me of something.... Why can't we say two "sheeps" in English? It doesn't make sense (to me) that sheep are uncountable. 

Japanese has (too) many counter words and uses different ones depending on what's counted. For example, when you talk about the number of animals other than large ones, such as sheep, you use "hiki" while for large animals, such as cattle or horses, you use "tou." However, Japanese has no concept of countable or uncountable words, so although it's hard to memorize which counter word is used for which, you don't need to remember which word is uncountable.  

By the way, Japanese has no masculine or feminine words, either and can omit the subject when it is obvious. (To learn about the tragedy happening when the subject is not said, read "Japanese Translation of "A Pale View of Hills.")

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針谷絹代作の根付「ひつじ」です。琥珀に蒔絵が施されています。きれいかつ可愛いです。

英語で「black sheep（黒い羊）」はグループ内、特に家族内の変わり者、厄介者を意味します。欅坂４６の歌でご存じの方も多いのではないでしょうか。

ところで羊と言えば、英語で面倒な不可算名詞。羊は不可算なので以下のようになります。

The sheep is herded by the sheepdog.　その羊はそのシープドッグが誘導している。
The sheep are herded by the sheepdog.　その羊の群れはそのシープドッグが誘導している。

「sheep」は単複両方で使われ、動詞（is / are）だけ変わります。集合名詞（例：staff, police）も間違いやすいですね。「staff」、「police」等は（ほぼ）常に複数扱いです。

Many staff were surprised by the appointment.　多くの職員がその任命に驚いた。
Police in this area are currently investigating 74 allegations.　この地域の警察は現在７４の訴えについて捜査している。

「ひつじ」は東京国立博物館で見ることができます。根付がお好きな方は以下の記事もどうぞ！
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Celadon Lid Rest for Tea Ceremony　青磁三閑人蓋置

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

This is 3cm tall celadon I saw at Tokyo National Museum. Do you know what this is?

What does it look like to you? 何に見える？

Three kids are holding their hands!
３人の子が手つなぎ！

This is a 3cm tall kettle lid rest in the shape of three figures made in the 17th century under the Ming dynasty. It's not only kawaii but also beautiful for its celadon color!!

Kettle lid rests of this type, three children holding their hands, are the favorite of the tea master Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591).

If you like celadon pottery, read "Celadon in 16 Forms," too!

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これ、何か分かりますか？分からなくても十分カワイイですが一応言っておきますと「青磁三閑人蓋置」、つまり窯の蓋を載せておく茶道具だそうです。東京国立博物館で出会いました。３人の子供が手をつなぐ形式のものは千利休が好んだものの一つということです。

青磁にご興味ある方は「いろんな青磁」もお読みください！

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Anise-Scented Sage　ガラニチカ

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

This is anise-scented sage I saw early August while walking in my neighborhood. The violet color was so beautiful, standing out from its surroundings. 

Anise-scented sage ガラニチカ

Hummingbird sage メドウセージは間違い

The rainy season was very long in Japan this year, two weeks longer than usual, and it was cool, too cool for July, but the subsequent heat wave starting early August is extreme, so hot, so humid that I have given up doing morning walk for the last week.....😭

Anise-scented sage is called meadow sage in Japan because of an importer's mistake.  

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ガラニチカです。言葉では表現できないほどの色の美しさです。

今年は梅雨が長く、しかもそれを補って余りある（？）暑さ。おかげでここ１週間ほどウォーキングできていません😭

ちなみにこの花、メドウセージとも呼ばれていますがそれは間違い。輸入され始めたころに業者が間違って付けてしまったそうです。

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Netsuke/Ojime - Wild Boar, Baby Boars　根付/緒締め - 猪, うりぼう

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

This is an "ojime" titled "Wild boar, baby boars," carved from stag antler, boxwood and buffalo horn by Nick Lamb, an English netsuke/ojime carver.

"Wild boar, baby boars" by Nick Lamb
「猪, うりぼう」ニック・ラム作
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Gourds in Various Forms - Netsuke, Pickle.....　ひさごの根付、奈良漬け、炒め物

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

This is a netsuke sculpture titled "Gourd," carved from boxwood by Kuya Nakamura. It's on show at Tokyo National Museum.
  
"Gourd," boxwood by Kuya Nakamura, 3cm 
「ひさご」 黄楊 中村空哉作

The netsuke below is "Gourd," too, carved from ivory by Ichiro Inada, also at the museum.

"Gourd," ivory by Ichiro Inada, 3cm 
「ひさご」 象牙 稲田一郎作

And the dark brown tiny things on a white plate in the photo below are sliced gourd narazuke pickle I bought at Imanishi Honten, a narazuke pickle store in the Nara prefecture. They are all 3cm long but still keep the shape of gourds!

3cm long narazuke pickles of gourds
瓢箪の奈良漬

Last but not least is two fruits of bitter "gourd"!

Bitter melons or gourds ゴーヤ又は苦瓜

Bitter gourds ended up like this...
ゴーヤの成れの果て｡｡｡

See? Japan fully utilizes gourds for art, pickles and home made dishes. But not only that. Gourds have several Japanese names, i.e., the first two netsuke gourds are "hisago," the second pickled gourd "hyotan" and the third one "go-ya" or "nigauri." But no matter what they are called, I love gourds!! (Gourds also play an important role in "Seibee and Gourd" by Naoya Shiga, my favorite Japanese novelist.)  

If you wanna know more about tiny pickled or narazuke gourds, which go well with saki🥢🍶, read "Nara Cuisine - Narazuke Pickled Gourds"!

If you love netsuke like me, read the following posts, too!
- Netsuke and Jello - Goldfish

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３センチほどの根付は二つとも「ひさご」。一枚目は黄楊製で中村空哉作。二枚目は象牙で稲田一郎作です。

白いお皿に乗っているのは奈良の今西本店の「瓢箪の奈良漬🥢🍶」。

そして最後はゴーヤとゴーヤチャンプルーです。

ひさご、瓢箪、ゴーヤ、苦瓜、名前多すぎ～！でも根付でも、奈良漬けでも、チャンプルーでも全部大好きです。（ちなみに志賀直哉の「清兵衛と瓢箪」も大好きです！）

根付がお好きな方は以下の記事もどうぞ！

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Tricyrtis Formosana 'Samurai' (Toad Lily)　ホトトギス

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

This is tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai' I had seen before the heat wave in Japan started early August...

Tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai'　ホトトギス

Toad lily　杜鵑草

Toad lily is hairy! 毛深いね😆

It's also called toad lily because it has spots looking like a toad's skin, and it prefers shady, moist places like toads. But this perception is not true of Japan. The toad lily is named "lesser cuckoo" in Japanese after the spots, which look like the chest plumage of this small bird.

Lesser cuckoo is "ほととぎす/ホトトギス" in Japanese hiragana/katakana form, but not only that. It has (too!) many names in Chinese characters as follows. (Japanese uses three characters; hiragana, katakana and Chinese characters.): 
- 杜鵑
- 杜宇
- 蜀魂
- 不如帰
- 時鳥
- 子規
- 田鵑

All of these mean "ほととぎす/ホトトギス (i.e., lesser cuckoo)" or tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai.' The flower is also called "oil stain flower" because of the spots. Wow, this small flower has stirred our imagination in many ways, i.e., toad, lesser cuckoo, oil stain.... 

Tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai' or Japanese toad lily is not so conspicuous, but the color and spots combined with its three petals and three sepals makes the flower so pretty! What do you see in this flower, a toad, a lesser cuckoo or oil stains? 

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ホトトギスです。斑点が鳥の胸の斑点と似ているからだそうです。杜鵑、杜宇、蜀魂、不如帰、時鳥、子規、田鵑とも書きます。油の模様染みにも見えるから油点草（ユテンソウ）とも言います。

英語では「toad lily」、カエルユリ。カエルの模様に似ているからだそうです。

つまり、ホトトギス、油、カエルと、少なくとも３通りの創造を掻き立てたわけです。それほど目立つ花ではないのですが、色と模様、そして３枚の花弁と３枚のガク。全体で見ると何ともかわいく思えてしまうのは私だけでしょうか｡｡｡

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Netsuke and Jello - Goldfish　金魚の根付と和菓子

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

This is a 4cm tall netsuke sculpture titled "Goldfish," made from amber with makie painting by Masayuki Hariya, a Japanese netsuke carver and makie painter, at Tokyo National Museum.
  
"Goldfish," amber and makie by Masayuki Hariya
「金魚」琥珀・蒔絵、針谷祐之

The netsuke below of a similar size is titled "Goldfish," too, carved from ivory by Godo Abe. It's also on show at Tokyo National Museum.
 
"Goldfish," ivory by Godo Abe
 「金魚」象牙、阿部悟堂

And look at the two goldfish below made of yokan, thick agar-made Japanese jellos, swimming in a muscat grape jello!
Goldfish jello in grape jello! - Minamoto Kitchoan
源吉兆庵 金魚

Goldfish reminds me of Yamato koriyama city, which is known for the cultivation of goldfish, in Nara prefecture, a place which I want to move to after retirement and had visited twice a year for almost ten years until the outbreak of Covid-19, but I haven't and don't think I can this year!

Japan has "goldfish plant." If you want to know what "goldfish flower" is like, read this post, too!

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１枚目　根付　「金魚」針谷祐之氏作　琥珀と蒔絵
２枚目　根付　「金魚」阿部悟堂氏作　象牙
３枚目　和菓子「金魚」源吉兆庵作　　赤い羊羹の金魚がマスカットゼリーの中を泳いでます。

１枚目と３枚目、根付と和菓子で全くの別物ですが何か似てません？ どちらもとっても涼しげ！ でも「金魚」→「大和郡山（金魚の養殖で知られた町）」→「奈良」と連想が続きがっくり😭。ここ１０年、年２回は訪れ、ゆくゆくは移住したいのに、今年はコロナでまだ行けていません。

ちなみに「キンギョ」ソウについても以前書いています。キンギョソウの英語名と花言葉にご興味ある方は「キンギョソウはおしゃべり！」もどうぞお読みください。

根付がお好きな方は以下の記事もどうぞ！

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Washoku - Deep-Fried Summer Vegetables Soaked in Japanese Broth　夏野菜の揚げびたし

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

What do you think this is? 

Do you know what this is?　何でしょう？

This is "age bitashi" of summer vegetables, that is, deep-fried summer vegetables soaked in Japanese broth!! It's so easy to make.

1. Cut vegetables you like, e.g., red, yellow and green bell peppers, okra, pumpkin, eggplants, green beans, carrots, etc., into large chunks.
2. Deep fry all these vegetable chunks.  
3. Put all these deep-fried vegetable chunks in a container of Japanese broth or dashi!!
4. Wait for them to cool down before you put them in the fridge.

Oh, you've never made Japanese broth? No problem! You can buy it online. Find "men tsuyu," "soba tsuyu" or a similar name, like "xxxx tsuyu." "Men tsuyu" is "tsuyu" or Japanese broth for "men," meaning not the plural of man, but noodles, so "soba tsuyu" is "tsuyu" for "soba noodle" and "somen tsuyu" is "tsuyu" for "somen noodle," but the name doesn't matter as long as it's some "tsuyu." One point to note is that you read carefully the food label to find whether the "tsuyu" you bought needs to be diluted with water or not.

Not only is this dish colorful, nutritious and tasty, but it goes well with beer, saki and wine, especially white and sparkling wine!! I hope you will like it!

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夏野菜の揚げびたしです。パプリカ、ピーマン、オクラ、茄子｡｡｡ まあ何でも素揚げしてめんつゆに放り込めばいいわけです。簡単だけど栄養と見た目の両方から暑さを吹っ飛ばしてくれました。難点はパプリカ。お値段ちょっと高いけど奮発しました😅！

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Netsuke - Muskmelon　根付 - メロン

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

This 3cm pale green ball is a netsuke sculpture titled "Melon," carved from boxwood with makie painting by Kinuyo Hariya, a Japanese netsuke carver and makie painter. It looks so real and fresh, doesn't it!

"Melon," boxwood and makie, Kinuyo Hariya
「メロン」黄楊、蒔絵　針谷絹代

A pedicel like a pig tail! ヘタが豚のしっぽみたい！

A netsuke is a small carved ornament, especially of ivory or wood, worn as part of Japanese traditional dress as a toggle by which an article may be attached to the sash of a kimono. (Lexico)

This netsuke is unique because not only does it invite us to a miniature world but it has a beautiful color world in the form of makie painting, i.e., green lacquer with gold powder sprinkled over it. And its pigtail-like pedicel makes this kawaii tiny muskmelon further "kawaii"!!

If you wanna see this in person, go to Tokyo National Museum! Read also the following posts for more netsuke items!
- Symbol of Peace? - Netsuke & Halloween
- Japanese Saying: Netsuke Titled "A-Hum"!
- Netsuke - Japanese Lovelorn Ghost Puts a Curse Saying "Urameshiya..."
- Kawaii Two-Legged Yokai Goblin Netsuke Sculpture
- Watermelon Netsuke Carving With Makie Lacquer Painting- Netsuke - Jurojin God
- Netsuke - Dog Days

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東京国立博物館の針谷絹代作「メロン」です。黄楊から彫られ、蒔絵が施されています。ちっちゃい世界もさることながら、グリーンの漆に金色の蒔絵がホントに綺麗です！

他の根付にご興味あればこちらもどうぞ！
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Real and Netsuke Watermelon　スイカ - 本物と根付

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

Do you know what this yellow flower is?

What do you think this flower is? 何の花でしょう？

The answer is in the photo below.

It's watermelon! スイカの花！

I didn't know what it was when taking these pictures, just thinking that it must have been a member of the cucumber family. I realized at home that this was watermelon when finding a so small and so hairy baby watermelon!!

I haven't had watermelon this summer yet, and if you haven't yet either, look at the watermelon below I saw at Tokyo National Museum this February. It's a watermelon netsuke with makie lacquer painting, created by Kinuyo Hariya, a Japanese netsuke carver and makie painter.
 
3cm tall netsuke watermelon

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写真を撮っているときは何の花か分からず、ただ「毛深い花だな」と思ってました。でも家で写真をよく見たら、何とちっちゃいスイカが！！

そういえば最近めっきりスイカを食べなくなりました。というわけで以前、東京国立博物館で見た、本物そっくりのスイカの蒔絵根付をご覧ください。根付作家かつ蒔絵作家である針谷絹代氏の作品です。

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Netsuke - Dog Days　根付 - 猛暑

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

This is a netsuke sculpture titled "Dog Days" carved from ivory by Gaho Goto, a Japanese netsuke carver, on show at Tokyo National Museum. This bulldog with dripping sweat down the face is so funny and kawaii!
"Dog Days" by Gaho Goto 「猛暑」後藤雅峯作

Dripping sweat! 汗だらだら！

Japan has had the dog days since early August with the highest temperature of nearly 40 degrees in Celsius or 104 degrees in Fahrenheit. So, I thought I would die from heat exhaustion when I got to the museum that day, but thanks to this tiny sweating bulldog, I was able to forget the heat, staring at it for a while by myself.... I love netsuke and bulldogs!!

If you are interested in this small sculpture world, read also the following posts!
- Symbol of Peace? - Netsuke & Halloween
- Japanese Saying: Netsuke Titled "A-Hum"!
- Netsuke - Japanese Lovelorn Ghost Puts a Curse Saying "Urameshiya..."

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早速ですが「Dog days」ってどういう意味でしょう！

そう「猛暑」で～す。ブルちゃんの汗が暑さをいやっていうほど表しています。根付大好き！ブルちゃん大好き！というわけで私の「推し根付」です。

後藤雅峯氏の作品です。東京国立博物館に展示されています。

根付にご興味あればこちらもどうぞ！

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Netsuke - Jurojin God　みんな寿老神！

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

These 4cm tall netsuke sculptures are all Jurojin god, one of the seven lucky gods. They are on show at Tokyo National Museum. 

Carved from wood, 4cm tall  寿老人木彫根付
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I Found Your Name, Zao Gongen!　押出蔵王権現像

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

This 15cm tall artefact is a repousse image of Deity Zao Gongen on show at Tokyo National Museum. The image was made of gilt bronze in the 10th to 12th century in Japan and found at the peak of Mt. Omine, Nara prefecture.
Repousse image of Deity Zao Gongen or kung fu Buddha 
押出蔵王権現像 又の名をカンフー仏陀（笑）

I first wrote about him nearly a year ago, but because the museum didn't have his name at that time, I named him tentatively "Kung Fu Buddha"😜 (A staff member told me that they sometimes lost the background information of artefacts!!) One year has passed since then, and each time I went to the museum during the year, I checked if his name had been found, but in vain.... So, finding him still kung-fu-ing with his name on a nearby wall label a few days ago was a wonderful surprise! 

Zao Gongen is the principal image of "shugendo," a mountain asceticism incorporating Shinto and Buddhist concepts, unique to Japan, also known as the principal image of Kinpusenji Temple, in Yoshino, Nara. Zao Gongen represents the truth about ultimate immortality, governing everything.

So, does this cute 15cm tall Kung Fu Deity govern everything in the world? If so, please give us a cure for Covid-19😜!!

The plaque below also has the deity's image, but the impression it gives us is completely different from that Kung Fu Buddha does.....
Plaque with image of Deity Zao Gongen
銅板抽出蔵王権現像

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最初の写真、東京国立博物館の「押出蔵王権現像」です。平安時代に作られ、奈良県天川村の大峯山頂遺跡で見つかりました。

実は１年前にも書いたんです。ただその時は説明書きがなく、スタッフの人に聞いたところ「出自が分からないんです。よくあるんです。」と軽く言われてしまい、仕方なく勝手に「Kung Fu Buddha（カンフー仏陀）」と名付けました。

蔵王権現は、日本独自の山嶽仏教である修験道の本尊。奈良県吉野町の金峯山寺本堂（蔵王堂）の本尊として知られ、究極不滅の真理を体現し、あらゆるものを司る王だそうです。へーっ、こんなかわいい権現様が万物を司っている｡｡｡ もしそうなら蔵王権現様、コロナ治療薬をください😜

２枚目の写真は「銅板抽出蔵王権現像」。同じく蔵王権現。でもカンフー仏陀とは全然違います｡｡｡

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Life of Lantana　ランタナの一生

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

I happened to see the beginning through to the end of the life of lantanas. The flower on these stages is all pretty respectively but differently.   

Still a bud まだつぼみ

An umbel consisting of star-shaped tiny flowers
星形の花から成る散形花序

Started to flower だんだん形が｡｡｡

Almost in full bloom ほぼ満開

End of life 終わり

Lantana is called "seven changes" in Japan as its bright color changes as time goes by. Hydrangea is also called "seven changes" for the same reason. So confusing!!

Lantana symbolizes:
- "rigor" or a "lack of flexibility" in the UK, and
- "fickleness," "agreement," "cooperation," and "rigor" in Japan.

"Fickleness" makes sense because it changes color. "Agreement" and "cooperation" also make sense as its flower clusters can be interpreted as a symbol of agreement and/or cooperation, but why "rigor" or a "lack of flexibility"? I couldn't find the reason....

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ランタナの一生です。つぼみから散っているものまでそれぞれに美しいです。

ランタナの和名はシチヘンゲ（七変化）。時間とともに色が変わるからですが、紫陽花の別名も「七変化」。結構いい加減😜？

西洋の花言葉は「厳格」、「柔軟性の欠如」。
日本の花言葉は「心変わり」、「合意」、「協力」、「厳格」。

色が変わるので「心変わり」は納得、小さい花が集まっているので「合意」と「協力」も納得ですが、なぜ「厳格」、「柔軟性の欠如」？ 分かりませんでした｡｡｡｡

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Wintersweet (Chimonanthus Praecox)　ソシンロウバイ（蘇秦蝋梅）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。 It was a surprise to me to see wintersweet starting to bloom but it was because I didn't know it flowers from November to...