Aesculus × Carnea (Red Horse-Chestnut) 紅花栃の木（ベニバナトチノキ）

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

A week ago, I had to go through Ginza, one of the most renowned commercial districts in Tokyo, and unexpectedly found such a beautiful flower high up on a tree. This is aesculus x carnea or red horse-chestnut.

Aesculus x carnea ベニバナトチノキ

Hassaku Orange Tree Flowers 八朔の花

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

It smelled good there, like Daphne, but the Daphne season was over more than a month ago. So, I walked around and found the source. Hassaku orange flowers were in bloom, emitting a citrus aroma so strongly that I smelled it through a mask. After checking nobody was around me, I took off the mask for the first time in more than a year outside and breathed deeply!😉

Hassaku orange flower and bud 八朔の花

Echium Decaisnei エキウム・デカイスネイ

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

Everyone has their preferences but I didn't know insects had, too. These flowers are echium decaisnei. You can see they're very popular among not only hoverflies but ants. 

Echium decaisnei エキウム・デカイスネイ

Glandora Diffusa (Purple Gromwell) 深山蛍葛（ミヤマホタルカズラ）

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

This is glandora diffusa or commonly purple gromwell. The blue and purple flowers against the dark green leaves are beautiful! 

I've taken photos of many plants recently, so sometimes I forget where I took them, like these pictures. There's a good thing, though. The color of the flowers has changed for the last two weeks, i.e., they were purple on April 9 while slightly bluish on April 26! Thanks to my forgetfulness, I was able to enjoy the beauty of gromwell twice😊 

Glandora diffusa on 4/26 is bluish ミヤマホタルカズラ - 4月26日は青い

Purple gromwell on 4/9 is purplish 深山蛍葛 - 4月9日はもっと紫

Double Flowered Clematis 八重咲きのクレマチス

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The pale purple color caught my eye. This is double-flowered clematis. 

Clematis クレマチス

Oxalis Debilis (Pink Woodsorrel) 紫酢漿草

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

This is oxalis debilis or commonly pink woodsorrel, the fourth woodsorrel I've found in my neighborhood following:

• oxalis stricta (yellow woodsorrel);
• oxalis corniculata (creeping woodsorrel); and
• oxalis corniculata forma rubrifolia (creeping red woodsorrel).

Oxalis debilis 紫酢漿草

Is Wild Strawberry Green Because the "Little Lady" Works From Home? 野イチゴが熟してないのは「おばあさん」のせい？

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

This is the only red wild strawberry I could find in my neighborhood...

Wild strawberry 野イチゴ

Oxalis Corniculata (Creeping Woodsorrel) and Oxalis Corniculata Forma Rubrifolia (Creeping Red Woodsorrel) 酢漿草（カタバミ）と赤酢漿草

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

I wrote about oxalis or wood sorrels a few days ago. Then after that, I found this oxalis corniculata or creeping woodsorrel, which are also conspicuous for the bright yellow color, but much smaller than usual wood sorrels. And then I found another oxalis, i.e., oxalis corniculata forma rubrifolia or creeping red woodsorrel (see the third photo), whose petals are also bright yellow but leaves are dark red. 

Oxalis corniculata 酢漿草

Parliamentary Museum Has Azalea and Cherry 憲政記念館のツツジと桜

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

I saw people coming out of a building across the street near the National Diet Building. I also saw trees with white flowers and green leaves inside the premises. Naturally I got closer to it, finding that that is the Parliamentary Museum.    

Miniature Japanese national diet building 国会議事堂ミニチュア

Dandelion and Hoverfly タンポポとアブ

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

I took a walk around the Japanese National Diet a couple of days ago, finding a dandelion and a hoverfly on it.

A dandelion and a hoverfly タンポポとアブ

Hie Jinja Shrine 赤坂日枝神社

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

Japan lifted the state of emergency on March 21 but has implemented measures for preventing the spread of Covid-19 effective as of April 12. This means that nothing has changed since this January for people in Tokyo. They're no longer under the state of emergency but are still strongly urged to stay at home unless for essential reasons. So, last Saturday (April 10), i.e., after the lifting of the state of emergency and immediately before the measures coming into force, I went to Hie Jinja shrine in Akasaka, Tokyo. 

Sanno torii gate 山王鳥居

Silene Gallica (Common Catchfly) 白花マンテマ

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

This is silene gallica or common catchfly. The flower is so tiny, about 1 cm in diameter!!

Silene gallica 白花マンテマ

Netsuke "Cut Piece: Apple" 根付「端材リンゴ」

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Do you know how to stay fit and healthy? It's easy! Just eat an apple every day—skin and all—just like this 'Cut Piece: Apple' netsuke made by Akira Kuroiwa from ivory, lacquer, and gold!

Homemade Candied Pomelo Peel パール柑のピール作りました

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

The strips of candied pomelo peel I've just made are now sunbathing to be sprinkled with sugar and eaten by a hungry ogre in my house....👾

Candied pomelo peel パール柑のピール

Kerria Japonica Ordinary, 'Pleniflora' and 'Variegata' 山吹（ヤマブキ）- 一重、八重、斑入り

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

A few days ago, I was excited to find kerria japonica or Japanese kerria, but today I was more excited because I found beside the ordinary Japanese kerria, kerria japonica ‘Variegata’ and kerria japonica 'Pleniflora.'

Ordinary kerria japonica 山吹

Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora' is double-flowered 八重咲きの黄色

Cerasus Jamasakura (Mountain Cherry) 山桜（ヤマザクラ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is cerasus jamasakura var. jamasakura or mountain cherry. To tell you the truth, I can't tell this cherry from Prunus lannesiana 'Sekiyama' (Kanzan cherry) or other similar cherry flowers. I googled to learn about their differences but only found that mountain cherry is wild cherry while sato cherry being cultivars of mountain cherry for cherry blossom viewing. Without a tree tag, I would have assumed this was Kanzan cherry.  

Cerasus jamasakura var. jamasakura 山桜

Narcissus Cheerfulness 八重咲き水仙 チアフルネス

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I was walking as usual on the street and felt something different. Several daffodils are double-flowered. They are narcissus cheerfulness.  

2021/4/7

Prunus Lannesiana 'Sekiyama' (Kanzan Cherry) 関山（カンザン）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I thought the cherry blossom season was over, but look at these beautiful pink blossoms! They are prunus lannesiana cv. Sekiyama or Kanzan cherry.

Prunus lannesiana cv. Sekiyama 関山

Netsuke "Catnap" 根付「うたたね」

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Are you sleepy? Maybe that's because it's spring. If you only get sleepy while working, tell yourself, 'Giddy up!' and look at this. This 3-cm-tall sculpture is a netsuke titled 'Catnap.' It was carved from ivory by Gyokusen Suzuki and is currently on display at the Tokyo National Museum.

Yellow Cherry😲 (Cerasus Sato-zakura Group ‘Grandiflora’ A. Wagner) 黄緑の桜😲「ウコン」

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I couldn't believe my eyes😲! Do you know that there are yellowish green cherry blossoms? I saw them! In my neighborhood! They are Ukon cherry blossoms (Cerasus Sato-zakura Group ‘Grandiflora’ A. Wagner).

Weeping Yoshino Cherry - Prunus Lannesiana Wilson 'Sendai Shidare' 吉野枝垂れ桜

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

This is prunus lannesiana Wilson 'Sendai shidare' or Yoshino weeping cherry at Tokyo National Museum entrance.  

Prunus lannesiana Wilson 'Sendai shidare' 吉野枝垂れ

Whitish pink blossoms are so beautiful! 薄桜色がきれい！