Wax-Leaf Privet (Ligustrum Japonicum) ネズミモチ（鼠糯）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Does it look like a small caterpillar to you? I closely looked at it on a fruit of a wax-leaf privet tree (Ligustrum japonicum) but couldn't tell. But even if so, why didn't it move an inch? Is it hibernating? Or is it dead just before decomposing?  

The tree is called "nezumi mochi" in Japanese, that means "mouse mochi" because the fruit looks like mouse droppings and the leaves resemble those of the mochi tree or the elegance female holly (Ilex integra). The fruits of wax-leaf privet tree are used in herbal medicine. 

2024/12/29

2024/12/29

Hong Kong Kumquat (Fortunella Hindsii Swingle) マメキンカン（豆金柑）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a bonsai tree made from Hong Kong kumquat (Fortunella hindsii Swingle) and a moss ball. I'm Japanese but have never grown a bonsai tree and never thought I would. Someone gave it to me and suddenly the responsibility to grow this bonsai has fallen on me. One of my New Year resolutions will be to keep it from drying out!

Hassaku Orange ハッサク（八朔）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I found Chinese quince fruits scattered on the ground, brought two back home and made jam from them ten days ago. My next target now is these hassaku oranges. 

The hassaku orange is a Japanese citrus hybrid between pomelo and mandarin, with pomelo-like characteristics (Source: Wikipedia). Marmalade made from hassaku is so tasty, but there's one problem. Peels of hassaku oranges at grocery stores should contain pesticide. I used to wash them by brush or remove a thin outer layer of the peel but as the outer layer is so orange, I want to use the fruit whole without throwing away any of it. So now, you see why and how badly I want these pesticide-free oranges! 

The tree grows in a public space and it's not so busy there but I'm pretty sure that neighbors like me want to have some of these, too for the same reason as mine. From today on, I need to be vigilant, going there as often as possible to pick them up as soon as they fall to the ground😆! 

Autumn or Winter Leaves 冬の紅葉

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Autumn is over in Japan and so autumn leaves are over but there are still red leaves here and there. Autumn (or winter) leaves are beautiful but more beautiful against the blue sky.  

Camellia Sasanqua (Sasanqua Camellia) サザンカ（山茶花）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Camellia sasanquas can be seen in many places in Tokyo, but I rarely see trees with so many, so pure white, double flowered sasanquas. I feel I see more sasanqua blooms (whether white or red) this year than usual. This year may be a good year for camellia sasanquas.  

2024/12/26

2024/12/26

Aloe アロエ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I found the buds in November and have been observing them since then and now I know what aloe flowers are like. These are flowers of aloes more specifically candelabra aloe (Aloe arborescens). I didn't know the aloe produces flowers or has two types, i.e., the Aloe arborescens and the Aloe vera. I can tell those in these photos are the former because the flowers are red. The Aloe vera produces yellow flowers. 

2024/12/24

2024/12/24

False Holly (Osmanthus Heterophyllus) ヒイラギ（柊）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are false holly flowers (Osmanthus heterophyllus). They're so tiny and white, looking innocent. Something else attracted my attention, however. The leaves on the 1st photo are all round unlike the plant's usual leaf shape. Then I learned that false holly trees change their leaf shape from spiky to round as they age and/or from round to spiky in response to hungry animals according to a Japanese tree doctor. Whether either or both are correct, this shows the adaptability of plants.   

2024/12/22

2024/12/22

2024/12/22

Camellia Sasanqua (Sasanqua Camellia) 山茶花（サザンカ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Camellia, camellia, camellia! It’s my first time to see such big camellia sasanqua trees (4th photo) and my second time to see a camellia sasanqua tree having so many flowers! As you may know, the flowers of the sasanqua camellia and those of the Japanese camellia resemble each other but they're different in several ways, one of which is how a flower dies. A sasanqua flower dies with petals falling off one by one while a Japanese camellia flower falls off in its entirety. 

2024/12/20

2024/12/20

2024/12/20

2024/12/20

Chinese Quince (Pseudocydonia Sinensis) カリン（花梨）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I found these Chinese quince fruits (2nd photo) on the ground while on an early morning walk, took them home, and made jam! It sounds so simple but it wasn't because I had to go through certain "procedures" to make the jam! 

First, I made sure that the garden where the Chinese quince trees grew was a public garden and then asked a man cleaning the garden if there were any specific procedures to go through to have the fruits. He said that there were no such procedures and that people just took them. He even told me that there were Chinese quince trees growing in another public garden nearby and the trees there must have many fruits. Wow! 

You may wonder why I was such cautious but there's a reason for that. Some gardens in my neighborhood look public but actually are not and sometimes have "Don't pick fruit!" signs out of the blue. But now I've been cleared. I can get as many quinces as possible to make jam! 

A week later, I happened to see him again, so I said thank you and he asked me if I was able to get the fruits. Of course I answered, "Yes I did and I made jam!" He was smiling and I was smiling, too. It was a very nice day!! 

Chinese quince jam has a tart taste, so I added more sugar than when making other jam and it worked. The jam is sweet but also mildly sour, going well with yogurt. The Chinese quince is good for your health, i.e., decreasing bacterial growth, improving heart health, healing wounds faster, and relieving constipation. And you know what? Just looking at such beautiful orange color jam makes you happy! 

If you're interested in pink Chinese quince flowers, scroll down.   

2024/12/16 It's not sea urchin!!

December 2024

East Asian Eurya (Eurya Japonica) 姫榊（ヒサカキ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are flowers of East Asian eurya (Eurya japonica). In Japan, the East Asian eurya is used for Shinto rituals. It's understandable that their flower language in Japan is "Respect deities." 

2024/3/24

2024/3/24

2024/3/24

Maple Leaves in Autumn もみじの紅葉

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Some leaves are still green but that makes the perfect color contrast between gradients from green to yellow, orange and red, and the clear blue sky. 

Burning Bush (Euonymus Alatus) ニシキギ（錦木）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The deep bright red color caught my eye. They're burning bush (Euonymus alatus). As the name suggests, the leaves look really "burning." The burning bush is called "nishiki gi" in Japanese, which means "brocade tree," after such beautiful red color of the leaves like brocade in autumn. The season of autumn leaves in Tokyo is nearing the end with still remaining leaves on a few trees like this.

2024/12/12

2024/12/12

2024/12/12

Autumn Leaves - Their Way of Turning Red 紅葉してますけどそれが何か？

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I was doing jump rope and squats in a small park nearby this morning as usual, turned around, saw this, and murmured, "What the hell?," and then burst out laughing! Autumn leaves usually make me say "Wow" with their magnificent color gradients, but this vine of leaves caught my eye with not the bright red color but their way of being! Every leaf has their own way of turning red. 

Chrysanthemum キク（菊）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I found these chrysanthemums at a bus stop. There were only two but their bright contrast between the red ray florets and the yellow disk florets caught my eye. 

   

Chrysanthemums are special in Japan. The Imperial Seal of Japan is called the Chrysanthemum Seal and used by the Emperor of Japan and members of the Imperial Family. But for me, the flowers are special in a different way, i.e., always reminding me of "The Inugami Clan," a murder mystery book by Seishi Yokomizo (1902-1981), one of the most famous crime authors in Japan who created the private detective character Kosuke Kindaichi.

You may wonder how chrysanthemums, such beautiful flowers, are related to a crime novel. That's because they play a key role in "The Inugami Clan" as one of the three sacred treasures for the clan, i.e., a golden chrysanthemum, a golden axe, and a golden koto or Japanese harp made by Sahee Inugami, the super-rich head of the family. These golden treasures were proof of heirship, and you can easily guess, the family members are killed one after another over this heirship and the head of a victim is replaced with the head of a chrysanthemum doll... AHHH😱

I read almost all the books by Seishi Yokomizo when I was a kid. (I was a bit different from other kids.) Yokomizo respected Ellery Queen and Agatha Christie, but liked John Dickson Carr the most. If you like reading crime books, you can guess what Yokomizo's stories are like.

Chrysanthemums are pretty, colorful flowers, having nothing to do with bloody murders. Maybe it's time for me to change this terrible perception of chrysanthemums.

Large Pyracantha (Firethorn) Tree 大きな常盤山査子（ピラカンサ）の木

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a pyracantha or more commonly firethorn tree. The tree, which is about 3 meter high, grows next to a police station within the premises of the Imperial Palace. The tree is big for a firethorn but not as big as the tree I saw three years ago (4th to 6th photos). The tree was about 5 or 6 meter, definitely different from "normal" firethorns I've ever seen.

Speaking of "normal," Japanese people love to be "normal," which means to be the same as others. People in Japan are afraid of being different because being different isn't "normal" in Japan. So, they don't talk about differences but try to accommodate the differences by changing themselves or others to make everyone in harmony. This sometimes does good while other times not. According to a Japanese author and psychiatrist Otohiko Kaga, some Japanese develop schizophrenia for fear of being different as opposed to French people, who may develop schizophrenia for fear of being the same as others.

The area where the firethorn in the 4th to 6th photos grew was redeveloped, and the tree was removed.

2024/12/6

2024/12/6

2024/12/6

Heart-Shaped Yellow Leaves ハート形の黄葉

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

One or two may not have caught my eye but that many hearts did and made me smile.

Toad Lily (Tricyrtis Formosana) タイワンホトトギス（台湾杜鵑草）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I didn't expect to see toad lilies (Tricyrtis formosana) in December. The plant is named after spots on a toad's skin and its preference of shady, moist places like toads. In Japan, however, the toad lily is called "lesser cuckoo" also after its spots, which, to Japanese people, look like the chest plumage of the bird. Perception varies. 

Winter/October Cherry (Cerasus Subhirtella) フユザクラ（冬桜）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

If you're in Japan at this time of year and want to see cherry blossoms, go to Ginza! These are cherry blossoms that bloom as the name suggests in winter or from October to December (Cerasus subhirtella) and that's why they're called "winter cherry" or "October cherry" blossoms.

Some of those passing by the tree said that the cherry tree was stupid, blooming out of season. I said in my mind "It's you who are stupid😝."