Tilia Miqueliana Maxim 菩提樹

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They're the fruits of tilia miqueliana Maxim in Koishikawa Botanical Garden. Their green color and roundness is so beautiful and cute!

The problem is, however, that tilia miqueliana Maxim is called "Bodaiju" in Japanese, meaning "ficus religiosa" or "sacred fig," under which Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment.

This confusion occurred due to the mistaking of a tilia miqueliana Maxim tree for a sacred fig tree by Myōan Eisai (1141 - 1215), a Japanese Buddhist priest, and as a result, many temples across Japan have planted tilia miqueliana Maxim trees, calling them "sacred fig trees." But Eisai is believed to have also brought the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism and green tea from China to Japan. This offsets his misunderstanding!😊 

 

Tilia miqueliana Maxim 菩提樹

Alangium Platanifolium (Siebold et Zucc.) Harms Var. Trilobatum (Miq.) Ohwi 瓜の木（ウリノキ）

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This is the flower of alangium platanifolium (Siebold et Zucc.) Harms var. trilobatum (Miq.) Ohwi. The name is too long, but the curled white petals are so tiny and cute!

Alangium platanifolium (Siebold et Zucc.) Harms var. trilobatum (Miq.) Ohwi 瓜の木

Netsuke "A Tortoise with Hatchlings" 親子亀牙彫根付

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The first photo is of a 3 cm ivory sculpture or netsuke in the shape of a tortoise with hatchlings on show at Tokyo National Museum. It was carved by Mitsuhiro in the 19th century. And the second photo is of a REAL tortoise I saw in the Koishikawa Botanical Garden, which was taking a walk😜 in the garden.

Netsuke in the shape of a tortoise with hatchlings, ivory 親子亀牙彫根付

Cerasus Subhirtella (Miq.) or Winter Cherry 十月桜（冬桜）

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Some people are stupid. Some dogs are stupid. And some trees are, too, and this is one of them. This is cerasus subhirtella (miq.) or WINTER cherry. 

I finished monitoring the cherry tree this April after observing it for six months since last October, and thought at that time that I would see it blossoming again this autumn. I was wrong...

Two days later, I went to see the blossoms or more specifically the two flowers again, but they were already gone. Maybe not the tree but the cherry flowers were stupid😁

Cerasus subhirtella (miq.) 冬桜

Never Underestimate "等 (Tou)"! - No.2 「等」の訳し方 - No.2

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Look at the two terms below.

株式交換　　→　kabushiki koukan          →　share-for-share exchange 

株式交換等　→　kabushiki koukan tou    →　share-for-share exchange, etc.???

Can you see the difference? Yes. The only difference is "tou (等)," which means "etc." So, you must have assumed that "株式交換等 or kabushiki koukan tou" meant "share-for-share exchange and other similar transactions," mustn't you? 

Incense Burner - Lions Smile in Asia 織部獅子鈕香炉 - 獅子はアジアで笑う

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This is an incense burner with a knob in the shape of a lion on show at Tokyo National Museum. The burner is Oribe style Mino ware made in Japan in 1612. Its green glaze is so beautiful. The Oribe style is a type of Japanese pottery that first appeared in the 16th century under Oribe Furuta’s guidance, and Mino ware is also Japanese pottery produced in Mino Province, an area in the current Gifu Prefecture, central Japan. 

Now, you have basic knowledge about this pottery, so look at the funny face of the lion and compare it with another lion in the third photo!! 

Incense burner with lion-shaped knob, Oribe type Mino ware, 1612 
織部獅子鈕香炉 1612年

Galls on Styrax Japonicus (Japanese Snowbell) are Cute but GROSS😱 エゴノネコアシはキモカワ😱

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Do you know something cute but GROSS? This is a gall of ceratovacuna nekoashi on styrax japonicus or Japanese snowbell. A gall is an abnormal, localized outgrowth or swelling of plant tissue caused by infection from bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes or irritation by insects and mites (Britannica). And galls on Japanese snowbell trees are caused by APHIDS, meaning these green things which look like some fruits or flower buds contain many many aphids😱! I didn't know that, so I almost touched the galls!

Galls on Japanese snowbell trees are called "Cat paws on Japanese snowbell" and I see why. The galls look like cat paws, but the name, which doesn't mention the important fact that they aren't cat paws or flowers but contain bugs😂, bothers me... 

A gall on Japanese snowbell エゴノネコアシ

Ternstroemia Gymnanthera (Japanese Ternstroemia) 木斛（モッコク）

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They're so tiny, i.e., 1 to 2 cm in diameter, and so many and so fragrant that I stopped to look at them closely. These are the flowers of ternstroemia gymnanthera, or more commonly Japanese ternstroemia or Japanese cleyera tree.

Japanese ternstroemia flowers look like Japanese snowbell from a distance. Both trees have many tiny white flowers, downward facing, but the buds are different, i.e., ternstroemia buds are fist-shaped while snowbell buds bell-shaped.  

Ternstroemia gymnanthera 木斛

Albizia Julibrissin (Persian Silk Tree) 合歓木（ネムノキ）

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This is albizia julibrissin or more commonly Persian silk tree or pink silk tree. Its leaves close during the night, so it's called "Sleeping tree" in Japan.

The tree is popular. It's a kigo* for summer. It's also a theme for paintings, including the one in the third photo "Sparrow in a silk tree" by Keibun Matsumura at Tokyo National Museum.  

* Kigo are words or phrases that are associated with a particular season in haiku or Japanese poetry.

The flower means delight in Japan, and the tree is a symbol of a happy couple in China. I may need to give this tree to my parents, who often fight these days....😁 

Albizia julibrissin 合歓木

Silk tree is awake during the day! ねむの木、昼は起きてます！

"Sparrow in a silk tree" by Keibun Matsumura, 19th century

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近所の合歓木です。夜は寝ているのでねむの木。海外でも「Sleeping tree」と呼ぶところもあるようです。俳句や絵画でも取り上げられていて、東京国立博物館で松村景文（1779～1843）筆「合歓木雀図」（3枚目）を見つけました。花言葉は「歓喜」、夏の季語です。

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Hydrangea Changing from White to Blue Then Green 白から青、そして緑に変わる紫陽花

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I love flowers for, among others, their color. So, the hydrangea, which has changed its color from white to blue then to the blue green like below, naturally stopped me.

June 22 6月22日

June 22 6月22日

Netsuke "A Demon Holding A Mask" 面持鬼木彫漆塗根付

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This 3 cm wooden sculpture is netsuke in the shape of a demon holding a mask on show at Tokyo National Museum. It was carved by Ryukei from wood in the 19th century.

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. (Source: Lexico)

A red horned demon holding a mask by Ryukei, 19th century, wood 面持鬼木彫漆塗根付

Netsuke "Corbicula Gatherer" 蜆採木彫根付

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This 3 cm man (or a boy?) on show at Tokyo National Museum is netsuke in the shape of "corbicula gatherer" carved by Ryukei in the 19th century from wood. The carver is unknown. 

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. (Source: Lexico)

"Corbicula gatherer," Ryukei in the 19th century, wood 蜆採木彫根付 龍珪 木製

Netsuke "Daruma" 根付「達磨」

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These are netsuke "Daruma" on show at Tokyo National Museum, the first by Hoshu Yamagata and the second by Hosen Miyazara. They are 3 to 5 cm tall, both carved from ivory.

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. (Source: Lexico)

"Daruma" carved by Hoshu Yamagata from ivory 山形芳朱作「達磨」（象牙）

Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) 柘榴（ザクロ）

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This is a punica granatum or pomegranate tree and the flowers. I assumed that the pomegranate flower was red as the fruit, so I was surprised to find it so orange!

Punica granatum 柘榴

Macleaya Cordata (Five-Seeded Plume-Poppy) 竹似草（タケニグサ）

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These tiny orange flowers, which look like sparklers or "kokeshi" dolls, caught my eye. This is macleaya cordata or five-seeded plume-poppy. Kokeshi are wooden dolls with no arms or legs that have been crafted for more than 150 years as a toy in Japan.  

Macleaya cordata 竹似草

Ayesha Bigleaf Hydrangea (Popcorn Hydrangea) 渦紫陽花（ウズアジサイ）

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The rainy season arrived at Tokyo just yesterday, but my series of hydrangeas this year is over with this post, which is the 12th about hydrangea macrophylla 'Ayesha' or Ayesha bigleaf hydrangeas, or "popcorn hydrangea," which I believe best describes what they look like.

If you're interested in the other 11 hydrangeas, click the following links. The pink highlighted ones are my recommendation. Of various types of hydrangeas, I like 'Ayesha' hydrangeas best for the color and shape of the petals. What's your favorite?  

• Hydrangea Paniculata (Panicled Hydrangea) - cone-shaped
• Hydrangea Macrophylla F. Normalis (Lacecap Hydrangea) No.1 - pink and white
• Red Mophead Hydrangea
• Hydrangea Macrophylla F. Normalis (Lacecap Hydrangea) No.2 - blue and white
• Hydrangea Macrophylla 'White Diamond' - white and lime green
• Mophead Hydrangeas in Pink, Blue, and Purple
• Hydrangea Arborescens 'Annabelle' (Annabelle Hydrangea) - lime green/white
• Hydrangea Quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea) - cone shaped, too
• Lacecap Hydrangea No.3 - Three Pink Colors
• Hydrangea Changing from White to Blue
• Two-Toned Mophead Hydrangeas - two-toned petals with a different colored edge 

Sisyrinchium Rosulatum (Annual Blue-Eyed Grass) 庭石菖（ニワゼキショウ）

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This is sisyrinchium rosulatum or annual blue-eyed grass in Tokyo National Museum. I've been seeing pink ones in my neighborhood almost everyday recently, but it was the first time to see such beautifully shaped white annual blue-eyed grass flowers (i.e., without any petals missing). 

Sisyrinchium rosulatum 庭石菖

Magnolia Grandiflora 'Exmouth' (Southern Magnolia) 細葉泰山木（ホソバタイサンボク）

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This is magnolia grandiflora 'Exmouth' (southern magnolia) in my neighborhood, one of the cultivars of magnolia grandiflora, which I saw at Tennoji temple a few weeks ago. Magnolia Exmouth has this name because this was developed in Exmouth, Devon.

Magnolia grandiflora 'Exmouth' 細葉泰山木

Spiranthes Sinensis (Chinese Spiranthes) 捩花（ネジバナ）

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"Yes I'm twisted. So what?" This spiranthes sinensis or more commonly Chinese spiranthes said so. Or was it a hallucination? It's really twisted, oops, like a spiral as the name suggests! 

Spiranthes sinensis 捩花

Chinese spiranthes ネジバナ

Myrica Rubra (Chinese Bayberry) 山桃（ヤマモモ）

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There were red and black stains on the street that morning. I looked down to find parts where I was able to walk without making my shoes dirty, then questions occurred to me. What are they? Where do they come from? I looked up, finding these myrica rubra or more commonly Chinese bayberries, which look yummy!

 

Myrica rubra 山桃

Two-Toned Mophead Hydrangeas 縁取りの紫陽花

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In Japan, June is the month of rain and hydrangeas, and people across the nation enjoy their various types. So, I was so happy to see such uniquely pretty hydrangeas at Tennoji temple in Ueno Tokyo!! (Scroll down to see other types of hydrangeas, such as lacecap, oakleaf, panicled, white, and color changing hydrangeas!)

Tennoji temple, Ueno, Tokyo 上野天王寺

Hydrangea Changing from White to Blue 白から青に変わる紫陽花

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This hydrangea was definitely white, but the color has been changing, and now like this. The blue is so pale and calm...  

Pale blue now but white in late May 6月中旬は青いけど｡｡｡

Lizard and Bug - Predator and Prey トカゲと虫 - 食うものと食われるもの

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I first found the lizard in the first photo. Then I found the bug in the second photo.....

Sitting still on the leaf 葉っぱの上でじっとしてました

Feijoa Sellowiana フェイジョア

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This is the flower of feijoa sellowiana or more commonly feijoa or pineapple guava. (It's not guava, though). The gold tips of the red stamens are so beautiful!! 

Feijoa sellowiana フェイジョア

Magnolia Grandiflora (Southern Magnolia) 泰山木（タイサンボク）

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This is a magnolia grandiflora or commonly known as southern magnolia tree at Tennoji temple in Ueno, Tokyo. Can you see how the flowers are big? 

Magnolia grandiflora tree at Tennoji temple 天王寺の泰山木

The flower of southern magnolia is big!! タイサンボクの花って大きい！

Lespedeza (Japanese Bush Clover) 萩（ハギ）

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They are the flowers of lespedeza or Japanese bush clovers at Kan'-ei-ji temple in Ueno, Tokyo and in my neighborhood. 

Japanese bush clovers at Kan'-ei-ji temple 上野寛永寺の萩

Stewartia Pseudocamellia (Korean Stewartia) 婆羅双樹（ホントは夏椿）

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They are the fruit of the stewartia pseudocamellia or Korean stewartia or Japanese stewartia I saw at Tennōji temple in Ueno, Tokyo. It took me two hours to identify the tree for a reason you can see in the third photo...

Stewartia pseudocamellia 沙羅双樹？

Lacecap Hydrangea No.3 - Three Pink Colors 額紫陽花（ガクアジサイ）No.3

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I see lacecap hydrangeas more often than last year. This is the third post about them I saw in my neighborhood. They're all pink but of different types. 

Type 1 - Two-toned sepals with ecru flowers 赤白の額とベージュの花 

Hydrangea Quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea) 柏葉紫陽花（カシワバアジサイ）

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They are hydrangea quercifolia or oakleaf hydrangea at Kan'-ei-ji temple in Ueno, Tokyo and in my neighborhood. 

Hydrangea quercifolia in Kan'-ei ji temple 柏葉紫陽花（寛永寺）