Spray Chrysanthemums (Spray Mums) & Imperial System スプレーマム（スプレー菊）と皇室制度

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

Almost all flowers are gone but these bright yellow ones. They're spray chrysanthemums or more commonly known as spray mums. 

Chrysanthemums are the symbol of Japanese imperial family, and as some of you may know, the former Princess Mako married her college sweetheart Kei Komuro last week despite challenges, such as her parents' (i.e., Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko)'s opposition and the criticism about Komuro's handling of his mother's financial problem. I found their marriage interesting because it's exposed a couple of issues for the family; can or do the members of the imperial family have human rights; and should Japan keep maintaining the imperial system? 

The first question is relatively easy to answer. The imperial family members can and do have such rights. They're human beings and the fact that Mako was born into the imperial family should have nothing to do with her right to marry someone she loves and any other human rights. The thing is, however, that some Japanese are unaware that obstructing their marriage is a human right violation. Even some say that Mako has no right to marry freely because she's a member of the imperial family, and her dependence on taxpayers' money obligates her to seek some kind of approval or support from the public for her marriage.  

And that's what makes the second question far more important. If Japanese people (not all but many) believe that way, what is Japan going to do? Is the country going to maintain the imperial system, which deprives the family members of the right to live the lives they choose?

Japan has started discussing again how the imperial system should be, e.g., whether to allow women to succeed to the throne or expand the family to include the former imperial branches, but that's not the point. Japan now should discuss whether to keep this inhumane system. And my proposal is to abolish the imperial system not now, but after the members have disappeared through attrition.

Chrysanthemums are native to East Asia, but have been cultivated in the U.S. to produce multiple flowers on a stem, then coming back to Japan as spray mums. Things change, and the imperial system is just one such thing.       

Spray chrysanthemums スプレーマム

Hasty Camellia Sasanqua せっかちな山茶花

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

The camellia season has begun! This is the first camellia sasanqua flower I saw this morning and was the only flower in bloom surrounded by many buds and seeds. If it were late November, I'd write about its beautiful pale pink color, but because now it's still October, I couldn't help but smile about its hastiness, which is also a characteristic of mine😆 

10/29 Camellia sasanqua 山茶花

Snail & Canada Goldenrod カタツムリと背高泡立草（セイタカアワダチソウ）

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

You may dislike snails, but I couldn't throw away pictures of such a tiny snail surrounded by beautiful yellow Canada goldenrod flowers, which are also disliked by many Japanese people because of its invasiveness and the false allegation that it causes allergy due to its resemblance to annual ragweed, which is a cause of allergy.

But snails are not that bad. For example, edible ones are served as Escargot à la Bourguignonne, and in Japan, non-edible snails are the theme of a song for children. Likewise, the stems of Canada goldenrod are used to make blinds and tea in Japan. 

Oh, you still can't like snails or Canada goldenrod? That's okay. I dislike someone forcing me to like something I can't like!😁

Surrounded by Canada goldenrod 背高泡立草に囲まれて

Fatsia Japonica (Glossy-Leaf Paper Plant) 八つ手（ヤツデ）

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

These are the flowers of fatsia japonica or more commonly known as glossy-leaf paper plant or just paperplant. Clusters of tiny white flowers with cream yellow centers with an ant on it were so pretty😊

Paperplants grow across Japan. I've seen them in many places and haven't cared about the plant at all, but these cute flowers have changed my perception of the plant.

Its Japanese name means "eight hands" after its eight (or nine?) leaf lobes looking like eight fingers. The English name "fatsi" also means the Japanese word for "eight (hachi)." The plant is also called "tengu's fan" in Japan. Tengu is a type of legendary creature in Japanese folklore and is considered a mischievous supernatural being.

Paperplants signify discretion, familiarity and health. I usually don't agree with the language of flowers, but these three words well describe the plant.

 

Fatsia japonica tiny flowers with an ant 八つ手と蟻

Viburnum Berries? ガマズミ属の実？

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

I searched for the name of these red berries for a week in vain. I almost gave up writing about them, but they're so unique, i.e., some are shaped like a rugby ball while others soccer ball shaped, that I couldn't ignore these tiny red berries.

They look like viburnum odoratissimum or sweet viburnum, but are different in terms of their facing direction, i.e., these unidentified berries are upward facing while sweet viburnum berries mostly downward facing. They also look like viburnum dilatatum or linden arrowwood, but are different in the leaf shape. 

But at least we can say that these red berries are in the family of viburnum, can't we?😊 

Viburnum ガマズミ属

Mostly rugby ball shaped ほとんどが楕円形

Ilex Pedunculosa (Longstalk Holly) 戦（ソヨゴ）

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

Look at the orange berries in the 1st photo I took on October 23, the day after rain. They're the berries of ilex pedunculosa or more commonly known as longstalk holly.

These are orange but the berries in another place were red on October 21 (2nd photo), suggesting a different rate of color change between places even in a small area like my neighborhood. Hope you enjoy the color change from green in July to orange/red in October! 

Longstalk holly flowers are so tiny, i.e., about 1 cm in diameter. If you're interested, read this post!   

10/23 Ilex pedunculosa 戦

 

10/21 longstalk holly ソヨゴ

10/23

10/21

7/29

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戦（ソヨゴ）です。10月23日に見た実（1枚目の写真）はオレンジですが、二日前に別の場所で見たものは真赤でした。変化のスピードも様々です。ちなみに7月はきれいな緑でした！

5月に見た花は白くて、ちっちゃくて、カワイイです。ご興味ある方はこちらをどうぞ！

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Eriocapitella Hupehensis (Japanese Anemone) 秋明菊（シュウメイギク）

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

These are eriocapitella hupehensis or more commonly known as Japanese anemone. The yellow/green flower centers surrounded by the white petals emerged from the darkness before dawn. 

On workdays I get up at around 4:30 a.m. This was good in summer but now is too early for a morning walk and photographing. The sunrise time in Tokyo is currently at around 5:50 a.m. 

Originally the flower was pink and the white one is a crossbreed. Japanese anemone signifies patience, decrease of love, slight (romantic) feelings, and being sensitive. 

Eriocapitella hupehensis 秋明菊

Camellia Japonica/Sasanqua Seeds Look Like Chocolates😋 椿と山茶花の種はチョコみたい😋

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

These are camellia japonica and camellia sasanqua seeds. In August, I enjoyed glossy red camellia japonica fruits and hairy camellia sasanqua fruits, and at that time I didn't expect these fruits to crack, showing such beautiful seeds like dark chocolate (i.e., camellia JAPONICA) and macadamia nut chocolate (camellia SASANQUA)😋!  

Camellia seeds can produce oil (i.e., tea seed oil) used for skin and hair in Japan. The oil has been used for so long that The Shoku Nihongi, i.e., an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text, says that Japan gave the oil to an ambassador 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😲

Camellia JAPONICA seed looks like dark chocolate 椿の種はダークチョコ

Camellia SASANQUA seed is like macadamia nut chocolate 山茶花の種はマカダミアチョコ？

Weigela Coraeensis (Japanese Weigela) Makes a Mistake😆? 箱根空木、間違っちゃった😆？

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Everyone makes mistakes, and every flower makes mistakes. This is weigela coraeensis or more commonly known as Japanese weigela. Weigela generally flowers in early summer. I wrote three types of them this May, too. So, what's happened to this😆? 

Unlike other types of weigela, Japanese weigela changes its flower color from white to pale pink, then to reddish purple. It's understandable that the flower means "fickleness" in Japanese floriography.

Weigela coraeensis 箱根空木

Triadica Sebifera (Chinese Tallow) 南京櫨（ナンキンハゼ）

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

In July, bright green leaves, flowers and fruits were so beautiful (last two photos), while now in mid-October, three-lobed white seeds covered in dark brown skin are so cute! They're triadica sebifera or more commonly known as Chinese tallow. The white seeds look innocent, but their inner oil is toxic, causing skin rash when touched and vomiting and diarrhea if eaten.  

10/18 Triadica sebifera fruits and seeds 南京櫨の実と種

Ilex Rotunda (Kurogane Holly) 黒鉄黐（クロガネモチ）

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

They're so red, aren't they? These are the berries of ilex rotunda or commonly called the Kurogane holly. I've been seeing these berries changing from green to orange and red for the last one and a half months. Enjoy the color change from the 8/28 to 9/23, then 10/15!

Kurogane holly is known to bring luck because its Japanese name "Kuroganemochi" is pronounced similarly to "Kuro ga nai kanemochi," which means "a rich person with no hardship"😊

10/15 Ilex rotunda 黒鉄黐

9/23 Kurogane holly クロガネモチ

8/28

Carpe Diem! Dragonfly on Panicled Hydrangea トンボと一期一会

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

It's my lucky day! It's Saturday and I found this. 

I was going to take a photo of hydrangea paniculata or commonly panicled hydrangea. The hydrangea was almost dead, but the white petals were still beautiful, catching my eye. Then, I found this, i.e., a dragonfly hanging from a stem of the hydrangea. 

The dragonfly didn't move at all while I was taking these photos from various angles. It might be resting or dying, but either way, I was keenly aware that I may not be able to see this dragonfly once I left and definitely wouldn't tomorrow. So, I was there for a while to savor this unrepeatable moment.    

A dragonfly on a panicled hydrangea stem トンボと糊空木

Polyporaceae 猿の腰掛（サルノコシカケ）

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

This looks like a pancake, but it's not. This is polyporaceae on a cherry tree, a mushroom called "a stool for monkeys🐒" in Japan.  

I read about birch polypore on @zaungruen's Instagram post several days ago, in which Zaungruen said that he/she has birch polypore tea for colds. As a person taking Chinese herbal medicine to deal with dyspepsia (which is very effective for me), I'm very interested in polyporaceae's efficacy, and learned that in Japan, the mushroom is said to lower blood pressure and boost the immune system, while it's also said to decay and even kill trees by absorbing nutrients from them! A person can be good and bad at the same time. A mushroom can also be good and bad at the same time.          

Polyporaceae 猿の腰掛

"Modest" Cerasus Subhirtella (Miq.) or Winter Cherry😂 冬桜 - これで精一杯です😂

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

I've been watching the cherry trees since late September when the trees started to bloom, and I saw these pale pink blossoms today (i.e., October 14)! What? You're saying I'm lying? Cherry trees don't blossom in October? You're wrong because they're the blossoms of cerasus subhirtella (miq.). These cherry trees produce blossoms in autumn, winter and spring, and that's why they're called winter or October cherry. And I love these blossoms because of their modesty, i.e., they're like this throughout the year, never in full bloom...😂

In Tokyo, it was like summer just a few days ago, but now the temperature has dropped to 63°f (i.e., 17°c) in the morning, yellowing leaves. Autumn has finally arrived in Tokyo with these unique and pretty cherry blossoms.  

10/14 October cherry 十月桜

Netsuke in Shape of Jurojin and Ofuku 寿老阿福牙彫根付

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

Were they married? Did they have a child? 

This 3 cm tall sculpture is "netsuke in the shape of the Lucky Gods Jurojin and Ofuku" on show at Tokyo National Museum. It's carved from ivory by Chounsai Hidechika. They just look like a happy family, but I've never heard that they were married.  

The label says "Lucky Gods Jurojin and Ofuku," but Ofuku isn't a god (or goddess?). Ofuku, who's also called Okame, is a woman with a round face and a short nose, representing happiness as her name (i.e., Fuku) suggests and a beautiful woman before changing to the symbol of an ugly woman. (The definition of beauty has changed!) In contrast, Jurojin, one of the seven lucky gods, is the god of the elderly and longevity in Japanese Buddhist mythology based on a real person who lived in ancient times. He was about six feet tall with a very long head and a long white beard. 

I couldn't find any information about their marriage or their having a child, but I'm pretty sure that they would have been the happiest couple and the child would have had the best luck!!

If you're interested in the Seven Lucky Gods, read this post. If you want to see other netsuke, read this post, too!

Netsuke in shape of Jurojin and Ofuku 寿老阿福牙彫根付

Red & White Marble Colored Hibiscus Mutabilis (Confederate Rose) 源平咲きの酔芙蓉

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

They're hibiscus mutabilis or more commonly known as Confederate rose. I pass by the tree almost everyday but didn't notice until yesterday that the tree had white, red and marble-colored flowers like these. They were about to die. I wished I had noticed them earlier....

I've seen peach, Japanese apricot, and lespedeza having white, pink/red, and marble-colored flowers on the same tree, but didn't expect the same for hibiscuses. 

So, the question is why red and white color flowers are on the same tree? I googled when seeing a Japanese apricot tree with two colored flowers for the first time and learned that scientifically, there's no white flower trees, but the red flower trees have white flowers when they cannot produce enough anthocyanins to make flowers red. The same thing may have happened to this hibiscus tree. 

If you want to see peach, Japanese apricot, or lespedeza having white, pink/red or marble-colored flowers on the same tree, read the following posts: 

- Red & White Marble Colored Flowering Peach

- Half & Half Colored Japanese Apricot (White & Pink)!

- Lespedeza Japonica Bailey cv. Versicolor (Variegated Bush Clover)

Hibiscus mutabilis 酔芙蓉

Tricyrtis - Crossbreed of Japanese and Taiwanese Ones? 杜鵑草 - 日本と台湾のハーフ？

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

Are they Japanese or Taiwanese? That is the question. And my answer is that they're a crossbreed of tricyrtis hirta (or more commonly known as Japanese toad lilies) and tricyrtis formosana (or Taiwanese toad lilies). 

The biggest difference between Japanese and Taiwanese toad lilies is that the Japanese toad lily has flowers only at the axil (i.e., between stems) while the Taiwanese one's stem branches into several stems and each stem has a flower at the top. The toad lilies in the first three photos have flowers at the top of the stems but also between the stems, which made me wonder if they were a crossbreed of Japanese and Taiwanese toad lilies...  

The plant is called toad lily because it has spots on the petals looking like a toad's skin, but that's different from how Japanese people see toad lilies. In Japan, they're called "lesser cuckoo" because, to Japanese people, the spots seem like the chest plumage of the small bird.

Japanese (tricyrtis hirta) or Taiwanese (tricyrtis formosana)?
日本の杜鵑草？台湾杜鵑草？

Flowers both at the top of stems and at the axil 葉腋と茎の先端の両方に花

Netsuke in Shape of a Noh Performer with a Hannya Mask 般若牙彫根付

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

"How many will I kill tonight? Three or four?" He looks like saying this, doesn't he? This 3 cm tall sculpture is "netsuke in the shape of a noh performer with a hannya mask" on show at Tokyo National Museum. It's carved from ivory.

The hannya mask, which is used in noh plays, as well as Shinto dances, portrays the souls of women who have become demons due to obsession or jealousy. One of the most famous noh plays using the mask is "Aoi no Ue (Lady Aoi)," in which Lady Aoi or the wife of Genji (i.e., the protagonist of The Tale of Genji), is killed by the wandering spirit of his jealous mistress Lady Rokujo. The noh actor playing the mistress wears the hannya mask to show her strong jealousy. So, the figure in these photos isn't a man but may be the mistress going to kill her lover's wife😱

Interestingly, however, "hannya" or "prajñā" in Sanskrit, which is a Buddhist term, means just wisdom and has nothing to do with jealousy. I googled why the noh mask has the Buddhist term meaning wisdom as its name, but couldn't find a reasonable explanation. 

If you love netsuke, read this post to see dozens of netsuke!!  

Netsuke in shape of a noh performer with a hannya mask 般若牙彫根付

Netsuke in Shape of a Heart-Polishing Figure 心磨牙彫根付

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

What do you think they're doing? Are they wiping the floor with a cloth? NOOOO! They're polishing their HEARTS! This is a 3 cm tall sculpture or "netsuke in the shape of a heart-polishing figure" on show at Tokyo National Museum. It's carved from ivory by Tomochika.

But to me, they look like wiping the floor. And speaking of wiping the floor, my paternal granddad often did that. It was natural for him to share household chores with his wife (i.e., my grandma). They ran a family business and Grandma worked from nine to five while raising three children and doing housework. And that's why he was cleaning the floor also when my mom visited his house for the first time. The thing was that because my mom had lost her dad when she was a teenager, has only three sisters, and went to junior and senior high schools and a college all of which were exclusively for women, just talking to a man made her nervous, and seeing a man wiping the floor shocked her😲! 

So, it's understandable that right after their marriage, she said to her husband (i.e., my dad) participating in household work without a single doubt, "Household chores aren't a male responsibility." Haha!😆

Many years have passed since then. My parents have been fighting over household chores in recent years. My mom believes that when he retired, she should've been able to also retire from her work, i.e., household chores, but she couldn't. So, again it's very understandable that I, who've heard this from her since my childhood, have never stopped my husband from cleaning, cooking, dishwashing or whatever (although he doesn't cook...). I want him to polish not only the floor but also his heart to do more chores😆. (Or should I polish my heart....?😁)

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 dozens of netsuke items!

Netsuke in shape of a heart-polishing figure 心磨牙彫根付

Netsuke in Shape of Lucky God Daikoku 大黒牙彫根付

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

This 3 cm sculpture is netsuke in the shape of the Lucky God Daikoku on show at Tokyo National Museum. It's carved from ivory by someone whose name I can't read, but which suggests that he'd carved netsuke for 73 years. So, someone trained for something for 73 years can create such a cute thing that makes people happy!! I love his smile and dancing.

The Lucky God Daikoku or Daikokuten is the god of commerce and prosperity and the patron of cooks, farmers, bankers, and the protector of crops. He's also a demon hunter, and one of the Seven Lucky Gods, who interestingly include gods from Japan, China and India. (Daikokuten himself is Indian!) At least when the Seven Lucky Gods existed😇 or were believed to exist, Japan was diverse! (See this post for the Seven Lucky Gods!)

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!

Netsuke in shape of Lucky God Daikoku 大黒牙彫根付

Netsuke in Shape of Exorcism 追儺牙彫根付

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

Have you ever seen a Japanese exorcism? If not, look at this 3 cm tall sculpture. This is netsuke in the shape of an exorcism on show at Tokyo National Museum. It's carved from ivory by Ikkosai.

Japan used to perform exorcisms in the imperial household on New Year's Eve and in other places on Setsubun, i.e., the day before the beginning of spring in the old calendar. The exorcism in the imperial household is no longer performed, while the other one still exists in the form of ritual called "mame maki (soybean throwing)" still performed on Setsubun day in which people throw roasted soybeans out of the front door or at a member of the family wearing an oni (i.e., demon or ogre) mask while shouting "Devils out! Fortune in!" 

So, these are expelled demons or ogres, but they're so cute, and to me, looking like kids scared of getting caught by their moms eating snacks before dinner or men scared to death of getting caught by their wives cheating😁 Oh, so they're all frightened of mothers and wives, i.e., women😂!  

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!

 Netsuke in shape of exorcism, ivory 追儺牙彫根付

Amphicarpaea (Hogpeanut) 藪豆（ヤブマメ）

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

This is amphicarpaea or more commonly known as hogpeanut. The white and purple flowers among the green leaves are so refreshing. The plant grows across Japan, but I didn't know about the plant or notice the flowers until today. The hedge had a grass cut yesterday (see the last photo), and that must have exposed these tiny flowers hiding among or under other plants. I'm happy to be able to see them but they may be saying "Leave us alone!!"  

Amphicarpaea 藪豆

Hogpeanut ヤブマメ

Netsuke "Yagyo-san (Ogre)" 根付「夜行さん」

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

This 3 cm tall sculpture is netsuke "Yagyo-san" on show at Tokyo National Museum. It was made from boxwood, tagua nut and coral by Yoji Yamada.

Yagyo-san is an ogre or demon in Japanese folklore. They wander on the back of a headless horse at night on certain days (e.g., New Year's Eve and the day before the beginning of spring in the old Japanese calendar), throwing people who happen to see him. But to me, he just looks like a primitive man with a long beard!! And so cute!! 

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 dozens of 40 netsuke items!

Netsuke "Yagyo-san" by Yoji Yamada 「夜行さん」山田洋治

Commelina Communis (Asiatic Dayflower) 露草（ツユクサ）

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

This is commelina communis or more commonly known as the Asiatic dayflower. The blue petals with yellow staminodes and white stamens against the green leaves are so pretty!!

The plant is unique in several ways. The flower looks like a mantis. The yellow part under the blue petals is staminodes, i.e., sterile stamens, which don't produce pollen, but attract bugs because of the resemblance to pollen. And real stamens are something looking like white mustache under the staminodes. And last but not least, the spathe (2nd photo), which contains a green capsule, is like a baby in a crib! 

The plant is so tiny but so complicated! The plant taught me the importance of taking a closer look at things.   

Commelina communis 露草

A capsule in a spathe 苞の中には蒴果