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.
Hi! I'm Kei Narujima. This is a blog about flowers🌼 and bugs🐛 (and sometimes netsuke, i.e., miniature sculpture) that make you smile😊 (or so I hope)!! こんにちは。花や虫(そして時々根付)などについて書いてます😊。税務英語については https://zeimueigo.blogspot.com/ に移行しました。
Spray Chrysanthemums (Spray Mums) & Imperial System スプレーマム(スプレー菊)と皇室制度
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.
Hasty Camellia Sasanqua せっかちな山茶花
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😆
Snail & Canada Goldenrod カタツムリと背高泡立草(セイタカアワダチソウ)
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.
Fatsia Japonica (Glossy-Leaf Paper Plant) 八つ手(ヤツデ)
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.
Viburnum Berries? ガマズミ属の実?
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.
Viburnum ガマズミ属 |
Ilex Pedunculosa (Longstalk Holly) 戦(ソヨゴ)
10/23 Ilex pedunculosa 戦 |
10/23 |
10/21 |
Eriocapitella Hupehensis (Japanese Anemone) 秋明菊(シュウメイギク)
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.
Camellia Japonica/Sasanqua Seeds Look Like Chocolates😋 椿と山茶花の種はチョコみたい😋
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 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😆?
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😆?
Triadica Sebifera (Chinese Tallow) 南京櫨(ナンキンハゼ)
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)
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"😊
Carpe Diem! Dragonfly on Panicled Hydrangea トンボと一期一会
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.
Polyporaceae 猿の腰掛(サルノコシカケ)
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.
"Modest" Cerasus Subhirtella (Miq.) or Winter Cherry😂 冬桜 - これで精一杯です😂
Netsuke in Shape of Jurojin and Ofuku 寿老阿福牙彫根付
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.
Red & White Marble Colored Hibiscus Mutabilis (Confederate Rose) 源平咲きの酔芙蓉
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.
Tricyrtis - Crossbreed of Japanese and Taiwanese Ones? 杜鵑草 - 日本と台湾のハーフ?
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 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? |
Callicarpa Dichotoma (Early Amethyst) Changes Color 小紫(コムラサキ)の色の変化
There is a saying in Japan "A dog that walks around finds a bone." This means "No venture no gain," and yesterday that happened to me. While I was walking around in my neighborhood, making a detour to a place I haven't been to for several months, I found this callicarpa dichotoma or more commonly known as early amethyst with these beautiful bright and dark purple berries.
I've seen another early amethyst shrub for nearly a couple of months, but the berries on the shrub have died without changing to bright or dark purple. So, finding these pretty purple early amethyst berries made me so happy. I hope you also enjoy the color change of these berries from mid August to early October!
10/9 Early amethyst 小紫 |
Netsuke in Shape of a Noh Performer with a Hannya Mask 般若牙彫根付
"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.
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.
Netsuke in Shape of a Heart-Polishing Figure 心磨牙彫根付
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😲!
Netsuke in Shape of Lucky God Daikoku 大黒牙彫根付
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!)
Netsuke in shape of Lucky God Daikoku 大黒牙彫根付 |
Netsuke in Shape of Exorcism 追儺牙彫根付
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.
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😂!
Ternstroemia Gymnanthera (Japanese Ternstroemia) - Don't Blow a Raspberry! 木斛(モッコク)がべーっ!
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。
Hey, don't blow a raspberry! It's rude!
These are the fruits of ternstroemia gymnanthera or more commonly known as the Japanese ternstroemia or Japanese cleyera tree. I wrote about its tiny fist-shaped buds and fragrant white flowers in late June and the red fruits last month, but now the fruits have started to crack, sticking their tongues (seeds!) out😆! The bright red seeds in also the bright red fruits are so tiny but so beautiful, giving me joy and happiness these days😊
October 4 - ternstroemia gymnanthera 木斛の実 |
October 4 - Japanese ternstroemia モッコク |
Amphicarpaea (Hogpeanut) 藪豆(ヤブマメ)
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!!"
Netsuke "Yagyo-san (Ogre)" 根付「夜行さん」
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!!
Commelina Communis (Asiatic Dayflower) 露草(ツユクサ)
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!!
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...
-
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。 This is prunus persica in Tokyo National Museum . The branches weep down to the ground and the flow...
-
Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。 I was so lucky! I found these mushrooms during a morning walk. What am I going to make for dinner? ...