Lithocarpus Edulis (Japanese Stone Oak) 馬刀葉椎（マテバシイ）

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

These are the nuts of lithocarpus edulis or more commonly the Japanese stone oak. The nuts are edible, tasting like chestnuts when baked (according to a website). I often picked the acorns when I was a child but I saw green acorns (2nd photo) for the first time.  

In Japan, the nuts of fagaceae trees are collectively called "donguri" and there's a famous song for children about an acorn falling into a pond "Donguri korokoro (i.e., Rolling acorn)."    

When these pale brown acorns turn dark brown, I hope the temperature and the number of Covid-19 patients will both become lower... 

Lithocarpus edulis nuts 馬刀葉椎の実

Acorns in mid-August 8月中旬

Abelia x 'Edward Goucher' and Abelia x Grandiflora ‘Confetti’ 花衝羽根空木（アベリア）

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They are both abelia. The pink one is abelia x 'Edward Goucher' or more commonly known as pink abelia and the white one is abelia x grandiflora ‘Confetti’ or abelia Confetti. 

The flowers have been in bloom for the last couple of months, but they're in full bloom now in my neighborhood with the white and pink blossoms side by side (3rd photo).

Abelia x 'Edward Goucher' アベリア

Acrida Cinerea (Chinese Grasshopper) 精霊蝗虫（ショウリョウバッタ）

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Can you see that? If not, take a look at the second photo. This is acrida cinerea or more commonly known as Chinese grasshopper. It landed on a leaf just in front of me when I was taking photos of skunk vines. The green colors of the grasshopper and the leaves are so beautiful!! 

The grasshopper has several Japanese names, including "Heaven and Earth grasshopper" because of the big size difference between the males and females like "Heaven and Earth." Acrida cinerea males are typically 4 to 5 cm (1.6 to 2.0 inch) long while the females are 7 to 8 cm (2.8 to 3.1 inch).

Acrida cinerea 精霊蝗虫

Ilex Integra (Elegance Female Holly) モチノキ

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These are the fruits of ilex integra or elegance female holly. They're 1 cm in diameter, and some are red while others still green for a reason.  

The tree has a natural enemy, i.e., a wasp "macrodasyceras hirsutum Kamijo." The baby wasps lay eggs within ilex integra seeds in summer, and in autumn, the wasp larvae stop the fruit changing from green to red (wow!) to prevent the red ripe fruits from being eaten by birds, which usually eat red fruits, spreading the seeds around and helping the plants' reproduction.

These green fruits may be naturally green or stopped by the larvae from turning red, but either way, ilex integra and the wasp both are fighting for their survival.  

Ilex integra モチノキ

Styrax Japonicus (Japanese Snowbell) 野茉莉（エゴノキ）

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I enjoyed pretty tiny white flowers in April, and at that time I didn't expect such white flowers to become such tiny dark brown drupes in these photos. They are the drupes of styrax japonicus or Japanese snowbell although they're no longer "snowbell"😆 

The drupes are bitter and that's why the tree is called "bitter tree" in Japan. 

Styrax japonicus 野茉莉

Zephyranthes Candida (Autumn Zephyrlily) 玉簾（タマスダレ）

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Last year, I wrote about these beautiful white flowers assuming they were ornithogalum umbellatum or more commonly known as star of Bethlehem. Several days ago this year, I found the flowers again and started writing about them when a question came to my mind, i.e., does the star of Bethlehem flower in spring?

I googled and found that they're zephyranthes candida with common names including autumn zephyrlily. The six white petals with the yellow stamens are so pretty, but the star of Bethlehem and zephyrlily are so alike in terms of not only appearance but also toxicity. Both are toxic and zephyrlily's leaves and bulbs contain potentially lethal toxins😱

Autumn zephyrlily means "pure love" and "expectation."

Zephyranthes candida 玉簾

Autumn zephyrlily タマスダレ

Dendropanax Trifidus 隠れ蓑（カクレミノ）

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These are the fruits of dendropanax trifidus. A mass of tiny, whitish green fruits are so beautiful and cute! 

In Japan, the tree is called "invisibility cloak" because the leaf looks like Tengu's magic cloak, which makes the wearer invisible like Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. Tengu are a type of mischievous yokai (supernatural beings) appearing in Japanese folklore. Imagining Harry Potter wearing Tengu's cloak made me chuckle😆

Dendropanax trifidus leaves change generally from a lobed to an ovate shape but some aren't lobed or ovate, which makes it difficult to identify the tree.  

Dendropanax trifidus 隠れ蓑

Phytolacca Americana (Pokeweed) 洋種山牛蒡（ヨウシュヤマゴボウ）

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This is phytolacca americana, also known as American pokeweed. I knew of this plant, but didn't know it has such tiny flowers. Another thing I didn't know is that all parts of the plant, i.e., the rootstocks, leaves, stems, and ripe fruit, are all toxic, which has made me hesitant to touch any plants recently...😱

Phytolacca Americana 洋種山牛蒡

Hibiscus ハイビスカス

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A variety of hibiscuses have been blooming across Japan, and I love these bright red ones because they remind me of my childhood in the Kagoshima prefecture where the beautiful nature, i.e., not only many flowers and trees but also bugs and even snakes, laid out the foundation for my later interest in writing about flowers and bugs on this blog.

Kagoshima is the most southern prefecture in mainland Japan. When I first arrived there, such bright red hibiscuses and sashimi of kibinago or silver-stripe round herring welcomed me. I was seven or eight years old, worrying about what would happen to me. That was the first school transfer for me, and I didn't know that was just the first of six transfers of elementary and junior high schools succeeding after that...   

I haven't been there since then, but red hibiscuses always remind me of Kagoshima, making me smile...  

Hibiscus ハイビスカス

Raphiolepis Indica Var. Umbellata F. Integerrima (Round-Leaf Yeddo Hawthorn) 丸葉車輪梅（マルバシャリンバイ）

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These are the fruits of raphiolepis indica var. umbellata f. integerrima (too long!) or more commonly known as round-leaf Yeddo hawthorn. I wasn't that interested in the flowers, but these fruits are so round and so cute, and their green and purple color is so beautiful! I love them. 

The fruits seem edible but according to a blog post, they're edible but not tasty, and the idea of eating them made me feel gross because these lovely fruits reminded me of Medama Oyaji (literally meaning "eyeball father"), i.e., one of the main characters of "GeGeGe no Kitaro." "GeGeGe no Kitaro" is a Japanese manga series about monsters, created in 1960 by Shigeru Mizuki and enjoyed by Japanese people for more than a half century. Medama Oyaji is a lovely father helping his son Kitaro with his vast knowledge, and is my favorite character of the series.    

Raphiolepis indica var. umbellata f. integerrima 丸葉車輪梅

Ipomoea Coccinea (Red Morning Glory) 丸葉縷紅（マルバルコウ）

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The orange flower hiding under the bright green leaves stopped me. This is ipomoea coccinea or more commonly known as red morning glory or redstar. It's still hot during the day, but Tokyo has felt a slight autumn breeze in early morning for the last week😊 

Ipomoea coccinea 丸葉縷紅

Protaetia Orientalis Submarumorea 白点花潜（シロテンハナムグリ）

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I first thought a scarab was coming from behind the lantana leaves, but the color was different. It was brown with white spots on its back. I googled and learned that it was a protaetia orientalis submarumorea.

Protaetia orientalis submarumorea are flower chafers, and the Japanese name is shiroten hanamuguri, meaning "flower chafer with white spots." Unlike green June beetles, which may cause damage to crops, flower chafers are beneficial insects😊

Protaetia orientalis submarumorea 白点花潜

Flower chafer シロテンハナムグリ

Green Female Conifer Cone (Pinecone) 雌の緑松笠（松ぼっくり）

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They're male and female conifer cones or pine cones. The green ones are female while the brown ones in the 2nd photo are male. I've seen many pine cones, but they were all brown, and I've never thought about their sex. The matcha green female pine cones are so beautiful!

Pine has male and female trees, and they're mostly monoecious. Naturally, this pine tree should have male and female pine cones on the same tree and voila! I've found bigger female pine cones and smaller male ones side by side!!

Chocolate vine, which I wrote about yesterday, is also monoecious, and has male and female flowers on the same vine. And you know what? A chocolate vine female flower is also bigger than the male one😁!!     

Female conifer cone 雌の松ぼっくり

Buds and Flowers of Akebia Quinata (Chocolate Vine) 木通（アケビ）の花

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These 1 to 2 cm purple buds (1st photo) are akebia quinata or commonly chocolate vine, or more specifically a mass of the male flower buds (smaller, in the front) and a female flower bud (bigger, in the back) of akebia quinata on the same vine. Their beautiful mauve color and cute shape has attracted me since I saw them for the first time last March. 

At that time, however, I mistook them for the fruits of euonymus hamiltonianus or hamilton's spindletree, so in March, I didn't realize I was looking at akebia quinata having male (smaller) and female (bigger) flowers on the same vine (2nd photo). Now with that knowledge, I can enjoy more of these pretty buds and flowers. The more knowledge we've got, the more understanding we have!  

The fruits of chocolate vine are said to be tasty. I said "said to be" because I've never eaten them or seen them sold at supermarkets, just remembering my granddad or dad talking about them a long time ago. Now I've found a chocolate vine growing in my neighborhood, it's time for me to try the fruit!😋  

2021/8 Akebia quinata - Male buds (smaller, front) and a female bud (bigger, back)
2021/8 木通の蕾 - 手前が雄花で後ろが雌花

2021/3 - Male buds on the left and a female flower side by side 雄の蕾（左）と雌花

2021/3 Female flowers 木通の雌花

Fruit of Cornus Kousa (Kousa Dogwood) 山法師（ヤマボウシ）の実

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The 1st and 2nd photos are of Cornus kousa or more commonly kousa dogwood fruits. Their skin is bumpy, but the fruit itself is tiny and cute. And the 3rd to 6th photos are of the flowers I took in early May.   

I've belatedly shared these flower photos taken in May for a reason. When taking these flower pictures, I assumed that Cornus kousa and Cornus florida were the same because they were flowering almost at the same time and looked alike. So, I wrote about only Cornus florida flowers and not about Cornus kousa.

Unlike the flowers, however, the fruits of Cornus kousa and Cornus florida are completely different in terms of not only the shape but also edibility. Cornus kousa fruits can be eaten raw or used to make jam or liquor but Cornus florida fruits aren't edible. I look forward to seeing Cornus kousa fruits ripen to red😊!! 

Cornus kousa fruit 山法師の実

Netsuke "Ladybird on Sweet Pepper" 根付「ピーマンにてんとう虫」

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This 4 cm ivory sculpture is netsuke "Ladybird on sweet pepper" at Tokyo National Museum. It was carved by Seiho Azuma 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). 

This netsuke sweet pepper is white, but imagine a green pepper with a red ladybug with black spots on its back! It must be so colorful🌶🐞 and beautiful! If you love netsuke, see this list to see more than 40 netsuke items!

"Ladybird on sweet pepper," Seiho Azuma, ivory 「ピーマンにてんとう虫」東声方 象牙

Fruit of Cornus Florida (Flowering Dogwood) 花水木（ハナミズキ）の実

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These are the fruits of Cornus florida or more commonly the flowering dogwood tree. The green egg-shaped fruit with a red tip is so cute.

Flowering dogwood flowers look like kousa dogwood, so I assumed that their fruits looked alike, too, but I was wrong. The fruits of flowering and kousa dogwood are completely different in terms of shape and edibility. Flowering dogwood fruit isn't edible...😆  

Cornus florida 花水木

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

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These are the fruits of ternstroemia gymnanthera, or more commonly the Japanese ternstroemia or Japanese cleyera tree. The tiny fist-shaped buds and the fragrant white flowers were so cute in late June, and now the deep red fruits against the deep green leaves are so beautiful. And that's why Japanese people call the tree "the king of garden trees"😊! 

Ternstroemia gymnanthera 木斛の実

Ternstroemia gymnanthera 木斛の実

The red flower is so tiny and cute! 赤い花がカワイイ！

Morning Glories Need 9 Hours of Sleep😉 アサガオは9時間睡眠😉

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These pink and purple ipomoea nil or Japanese morning glories are so beautiful. I found them on August 12. 

August 12 is five days after the Liqiu or the beginning of autumn in the Chinese calendar. The Liqiu in Japan this year was August 7, but it's still hot and many morning glories, i.e., the symbol of summer together with sunflowers in Japan, are still in bloom.

People believe that morning glory flowers open in the morning, but that's not true. They open in the morning in summer, but as the days get shorter, they open in the middle of the night because they wake up nine hours after it gets dark. Morning glory goes to sleep as it gets dark and wakes up after nine hours of sleep. They live healthy lives!😉 

Purple ipomoea nil 朝顔

Hypericum (St. John's Wort) Means "Grudge" in Japan 弟切草（オトギリソウ）

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This is hypericum or more commonly St. John's wort, the only flower I was able to find in my neighborhood today (August 11). With the current heatwave across Japan, i.e., air temperature of 39°C (or 102°F) with humidity of 70%, most flowers have died.

In Japanese, hypericum is called "killing younger brother plant" after the legend in the 10th century that a man got so angry at his younger brother, who'd leaked an important secret of a medicine made from St. John's wort, that he killed the brother, and because of this legend, in Japan, the flower means "grudge" and "superstition." Someone who can't keep their mouths shut could end up being killed in not only Japan but also in Italy. In an Italian short story "Mateo Falcone," a father kills his 10-year-old son because the son can't keep his mouth shut.

As the Japanese legend suggests, St. John's wort's stems and leaves were used as a medicine to stop bleeding in Japan. 

Hypericum on August 11 弟切草（8月11日）

Netsuke "Fukurokuju" (Shoko Nishino) 根付「福禄寿（西野昇己）」

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This 3 cm tall sculpture is netsuke "Fukurokuju" on show at Tokyo National Museum this March. It was carved by Shoko Nishino from wood.

"Fukurokuju" by Shoko Nishino, ivory 「福禄寿」西野昇己作 象牙

Fukurokuju, one of the seven lucky gods in Japan, is the god of wisdom, luck, longevity, wealth and happiness, and characterized by the size of his head almost as large as the size of his whole body. Fukurokuju is so popular that it interested not only Shoko Nishino, but other netsuke carvers. See the following posts to compare various Fukurokuju:

- "Fukurokuju" by Ryushi Komada
- "Ancestor Fukurokuju" by Michael Birch

- "Fukurokuju" by Seiho Azuma

Another interesting thing is that Shoko Nishino's Fukurokuju (above photo) and the third listed "Fukurokuju" by Seiho Azuma look very alike for a reason. The latter is a copy of the former. We can learn many things through imitation. Seiho Azuma must also have learned something through copying Shoko Nishino's Fukurokuju...

 

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). If you love netsuke, see this list to see more than 40 netsuke items!

(If you wish to post your comment but don't have a Google account, select "anonymous" from the drop down menu titled "comment as"!)

東京国立博物館の西野昇己「福禄寿」です。福禄寿は根付作家に人気があるようで、下のような福禄寿も彫られています。

- 「福禄寿」駒田柳之作、象牙
- 「福禄寿」マイケル・バーチ作、鹿角

- 「福禄寿（昇己 写し）」東声方作、黄楊

面白いのが、3つ目の東声方の福禄寿は上の西野昇己の福禄寿の写し。そっくりです。是非比べてみてください。根付にご興味ある方はこちらのリストもどうぞ。40以上の根付を掲載しています！

(Google アカウントを持ってない方は、コメント記入後に「Google アカウント」をクリックし、「匿名」か「名前/URL」を選択してからご記入ください！)

Bitter Gourd Mommy and Baby (Momordica Charantia) ゴーヤのお母さんと赤ちゃん

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

They're the flowers of momordica charantia or bitter gourd. Bitter gourds have male and female flowers and the central part of the male flower is yellow (3rd photo) while that of the female is green (2nd photo). 

Last year, I found three places where bitter gourds were planted in my neighborhood, but this year, two of the three no longer have them, so I've been looking for a place which has bitter gourds, or more specifically, the female flowers because they're rare. The ratio of the female to male flowers of bitter gourds is 1:10 or even 1:20!! And voila! I've finally found one female flower!! If you want to see a gourd family, i.e., a baby, mommy and daddy, see this post!!

 

Momordica charantia with a baby gourd 赤ちゃん苦瓜

Netsuke "Octopus Trap" 蛸壺牙彫根付

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This 4 cm sculpture is netsuke in the shape of an octopus trap on show at Tokyo National Museum this March. It was carved by Mitsuhiro from ivory in the 19th century. The funny face of the octopus is so cute, isn't it🐙?

An octopus trap is used for octopus fishing, and another Japanese term related to an octopus is "tako beya," which literally means "octopus room." 

"Tako beya" or "octopus room" is a harsh work system beginning in the Meiji period (1868-1912) under which the workers were forced to labor in construction sites or coal mines without enough meals, sleeping in accommodation huts called "tako beya (octopus room)" because the laborers couldn't escape from the labor camps like octopuses from such traps. The forced labor and labor camps are currently banned by the Labor Standard Act although instead Japan is now seeing increasing "black companies," i.e., companies that hire many employees, mainly contract workers or part-timers, to force them to work a significant amount of overtime without pay by threatening or harassing them.

Putting aside the sad and shameful history and the current social economic issue in Japan, however, Japanese people love octopuses not only as a sushi topping but also as a theme of art like this octopus netsuke.

If you like netsuke, read this post to see more than 40 netsuke!! 

 

"Octopus trap," Mitsuhiro, ivory「蛸壺牙彫根付」光弘 象牙

Netsuke "Silk Ball" 根付「手鞠」

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This colorful ball with a diameter of 3 cm is netsuke "Silk Ball" on show at Tokyo National Museum this March. It was made by netsuke artist Kinuyo Hariya from boxwood with maki-e (i.e., lacquer) painting.

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), and maki-e is a Japanese form of (especially gold or silver) lacquer or lacquerware (Source: Lexico). I've seen many netsuke sculptures, and boxes, combs, and natsume (i.e., green tea powder containers used in tea ceremonies) with maki-e painting, but I've never seen netsuke with such colorful maki-e painting.

"Silk ball" or in Japanese "temari (meaning 'hand ball')" is Japanese craft, originating in China and introduced to Japan around the 7th century. This temari netsuke is 3 cm, but temari is usually 10-15 cm in diameter, made from silk embroidery and currently used for room decoration. 

If you love netsuke, click here to see more than 40 netsuke items! 

"Silk Ball," Kinuyo Hariya, boxwood and maki-e「手毬」針谷絹代 黄楊＆蒔絵 

Annabelle Hydrangeas Die Hard!! アナベル恐るべし！

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It's been terribly hot and humid across Japan. The temperature for the last couple of days has been over 35°C (86°F) in Tokyo and even 40°C (104°F) in some places with humidity of 70% (typical Japanese summer). So, almost all the flowers are gone but these beautiful white Annabelle hydrangeas, which have survived this heatwave, surrounded by the dying and even dead ones!!

Annabelle hydrangeas change the color from lime green, white, then ultimately to green/brown. If you want to see how the lime green changes to white, read this post!   

Annabelle hydrangea アナベル

Fruits of Camellia Japonica and Camellia Sasanqua 椿と山茶花の実

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These are photos of camellia fruits. The first photo is of camellia japonica and the second photo is of camellia sasanqua.  

Japanese people love camellia so much that they talk a lot about how to distinguish between "japonica" and "sasanqua." And one way to tell is to look at the size and skin of their fruits. A camellia japonica fruit is bigger, i.e., about 5 cm in diameter, and has a glossy skin while a camellia sasanqua one is about 3 cm and hairy.

The seeds of both camellia fruits can produce oil (i.e., tea seed oil), which has been used for skin and hair in Japan for a long time. How long? The Shoku Nihongi, i.e., an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text, says that Japan gave the oil to an ambassador sent from Balhae, a multi-ethnic kingdom in Manchuria, the Korean Peninsula and the Russian Far East, in 777. Wow!

Camellia japonica and sasanqua are both the prefectural/city/town flower of many prefectures and municipalities in Japan, and camellia japonica is surprisingly the Alabama state flower😲 

If you're interested in how to distinguish between camellia japonica and camellia sasanqua flowers, read THIS post!!  

Camellia JAPONICA, no hair, 5 cm in diameter 椿の実はツルツルで直径5センチ

Netsuke "Penguin Mother and Baby" 根付「ペンギン」

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

This 4 cm sculpture is netsuke "Penguin Mother and Young" on show at Tokyo National Museum this March. It was carved by Sawako Yorikane 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)

It's been so hot and humid recently in Japan. The temperature for the last couple of days has been over 35°C (86°F) in Tokyo. And that's just an air temperature. With humidity of 70%, the apparent temperature is over 40°C (104°F), which makes me feel sometimes suffocated while walking even in early morning. 

That's why I've chosen this netsuke today. Do you feel cool? Or does the mother and baby netsuke makes you feel warm😊? If you love netsuke, go to A List of Netsuke to see 40 netsuke items!

"Penguin Mother and Young," Sawako Yorikane, ivory「ペンギン」寄金佐和子 象牙

Viburnum Odoratissimum (Sweet Viburnum) 珊瑚樹（サンゴジュ）

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These are berries of viburnum odoratissimum or more commonly sweet viburnum. The tree is called "coral tree" in Japanese because not only the berries but the stems turn red like red coral. The berries were still greenish in early July (2nd photo), but in three weeks, they have beautifully turned red (1st photo) and will turn black in autumn.

Coral always reminds me of a necklace with a tiny coral stone my parents gave me when I was a child. I no longer wear it. It's for children and broken, but I still have it to keep my precious memories of what I believed my parents were before distancing myself from them. I still have strong (but far less than before) attachments to, and residual desire for approval from, them, but I also know that being with them makes me discriminate against myself because they discriminate against women. The key to staying safe is to keep a social distance from each other. The key to a good relationship is also to keep a good distance from each other.

Sweet viburnum has pretty white flowers, though I missed them this year.  

Viburnum odoratissimum on July 29  珊瑚樹（7月29日）

Momordica Charantia (Bitter Gourd) Flower 蔓茘枝（苦瓜・ゴーヤ）の花

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

This is a "male" flower of momordica charantia or bitter gourd. Bitter gourds have male and female flowers and the central part of the male flower is yellow while that of the female is green. (If you want to compare a male flower with a female flower with a baby gourd on her back, see this!)   

Last year, I found three places where bitter gourds were planted in my neighborhood, but this year, two of the three, which are public gardens, have no bitter gourds. A gardener of a place of the two said to me that something had happened last year, so they'd wanted to plant the gourds but couldn't anymore. My guess is someone was trying to steal the gourds...  

The flowers and gourds in these photos therefore are in a neighbor's garden where not only the bitter gourds, but a rose, Japanese apricot, cherry, persimmon, and camellia trees, and hydrangeas, lilies and tomatoes are planted. I'm always thankful to the neighbor, whom I've never seen...     

Momordica charantia 苦瓜

Pentatomoidea (Stink Bug) 亀虫（カメムシ）

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

I always respect someone never giving up, hanging in there, so why not this tiny 1 cm pentatomoidea I found while walking early morning?   

In Japanese, pentatomoidea or more commonly stink bug is called "tortoise bug" for its similar body shape to tortoise's, but more known for its terrible smell, meaning this bug is recognized globally as being "stinky"😂 Someone or something is cute as long as you social distance.     

Pentatomoidea 亀虫