Plants and Flowers in Central Tokyo & Japanese Culture by Kei Narujima　東京の草花＆つぶやき

Pink Chinese Plum/Japanese Apricot Blossoms (Prunus Mume)　紅梅

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Chinese plum/Japanese apricot trees (Prunus mume) are native to China and came to Japan about 1,500 years ago. Since then, Chinese plum trees have been cherished (e.g., blossoms viewed and fruits eaten) by Japanese people. Today, a symbol of spring in Japan is cherry blossoms but during the Nara period (710 to 794), it was definitely Prunus mume blossoms as supported by the fact that Mannyōshū (i.e., the oldest extant collection of Japanese poetry compiled during the Nara period) includes more poems about plum blossoms than those about cherry blossoms.

Chinese plum trees generally start to bloom in January but some do so in late December.

2021/2/1

2025/1/21

Hydrangeas in Winter　冬の紫陽花　

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Hydrangeas in June are pretty. Hydrangeas in November season-defy. Hydrangeas in December signify enduring beauty.

2025/12/20

Japanese Mahonia (Mahonia Japonica)　柊南天（ヒイラギナンテン）

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Japanese mahonia (Mahonia japonica) is native to Taiwan and China. It came to Japan at the end of the 17th century and now can be found across Japan. The plant produces bright flowers from autumn to winter, providing an important food source for insects including horseflies. The plant means "increasing love" and, because of the sharply toothed leaves, "intense emotions."

2025/12/21

Double-Flowered White Camellia Sasanqua (Sasanqua Camellia)　八重咲きの真っ白のサザンカ（山茶花）

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Camellia sasanqua is native to, and can be found across, Japan. So if you're in Tokyo at this time of year, you would see camellia sasanqua trees in many places but when it comes to the double flowered pure white ones, I guess not so often. The pink ones are the most prevalent, followed by red. I've been able to find only this tree so far with pure white blooms in my neighborhood.

2025/12/18

2025/12/17

2024/12/26

Japanese Viburnum (Viburnum Japonicum)　ハクサンボク（白山木）

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The Japanese viburnum (Viburnum japonicum) is native to China, Korea, and Japan. The plant produces flowers usually in April but I saw its flowers for the first time in mid-December. Viburnum japonicum resembles Viburnum dilatatum but the former's leaves are glossy as opposed to the latter's matt leaves. The Japanese viburnum is supposed to fruit in autumn with leaves turning red in winter but this tree still has glossy deep green leaves with flowers that bloom eight months later than usual.

2025/12/15

Weigela Coraeensis　箱根空木（ハコネウツギ）

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Weigela coraeensis is native to, and can be found across, Japan. The plant produces flowers from May to July. The flowers change from white to pale pink, then to reddish purple, which is why the weigela means "fickleness" in the Japanese floriography.

2024/5/5

2021/5/21

Pink Camellia Sasanqua (Sasanqua Camellia)　ピンクの山茶花（サザンカ）

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The sasanqua camellia is native to, and can be found across, Japan. It produces flowers from October to December (as opposed to the camellia japonica, which flowers from February to April). The color varies from white to pink and red and so does the layering, single to multi-flowered, and the combination of the pink color and the multi-layering like in these photos makes the blooms look so gorgeous.

The blooms of 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

2025/12/12

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

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The paper plant (Fatsia japonica) is native to, and can be found across, Japan. The plant is called "yatsude" in Japanese, which translates into "eight hands." Despite such a Japanese name, however, the paper plant generally has not eight but NINE lobes (ha-ha). The reason for the confusion is that term eight (8) used to mean many in Japan. Part of the English name "fatsi" also comes from "hachi," which means "eight." The paper plant has another Japanese name "tengu's fan." Tengu is a type of legendary creature in Japanese folklore and is considered a mischievous supernatural being.

Paper plants produce flowers from October to December after many plants' flowering season, which is why bees and horse flies are often seen hovering over the flowers in these months.

2025/12/8

Autumn Leaves　紅葉

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The best season for autumn leaves in Tokyo is from late November to early December. Red and yellow leaves are beautiful but the mixture of green, yellow, orange, and red leaves against the blue sky creates stunning views, doesn't it? Many go to famous (and sometimes distant and busy) places to see fall leaves but you can enjoy autumn foliage here and there in Central Tokyo without being disturbed by crowds.

2025/11/24

2025/12/5