Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum x Morifolium) キク（菊）

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Here are some red and yellow garden mums (Chrysanthemum × morifolium) with a green plant bug (Apolygus lucorum) on one of them (see the second photo).

Chrysanthemums are special in Japan. The Imperial Seal of Japan is called the Chrysanthemum Seal and is used by the Emperor and the Imperial Family. But for me, the flowers are special in a different way—they always remind me of The Inugami Clan, a murder mystery book by Seishi Yokomizo (1902–1981). Yokomizo is one of Japan's most famous crime authors and the creator of the private detective character Kosuke Kindaichi.

Double-Flowered Camellia Sasanqua 八重咲の白山茶花

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The Camellia sasanqua is native to Japan and can be found across the country. It blooms from October to December, unlike the Camellia japonica, which flowers from February to April. Its colors vary from white to pink and red, and its petals range from single to double forms. The blooms in this post are double-flowered, white with pink edges, and can easily be spotted across Tokyo. Before opening, they look just like wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets).

2026/10/15

Angled Sunbeam (Curetis Acuta) ウラギンシジミ（裏銀小灰蝶）

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Some butterflies look completely different when their wings are open versus closed. One example is the angled sunbeam (Curetis acuta), a butterfly found in eastern Asia, including Japan. Because the male has an orange center on the upperside of its wings while the female has a pale blue center, it is easy to tell them apart when their wings are open.

The butterfly's Japanese name is 'ura-gin-shijimi,' which translates to 'gossamer-winged butterfly with a silver underside.'

   

2026/8/16

Common Bluebottle (Graphium Sarpedon) アオスジアゲハ（青条揚羽）

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Their blue always cheers me up. The common bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon) is native to East and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia, and can be found across Japan generally from May to October. Because they are so restless, if you find one, never chase it; instead, sit still and wait for it to land in front of you.

2024/7/2

All Roads Lead to Traffic Safety: Why the Hook Turn Matters in Japan 二段階右折は大切

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The traffic rules in Japan can be quite complicated for cyclists, especially the hook turn for those coming from countries without the rule. To understand key rules for cyclists in Japan and why the hook turn matters, I went to a local police box (Koban). Two officers on duty gave me the following information:

Canadian Goldenrod (Solidago Canadensis) セイタカアワダチソウ（背高泡立草）

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Native to North America, the Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) arrived in Japan around 1880 and can now be found across the country. Its bright yellow flowers stand out in autumn as the landscape begins to lose its color in October. Some Japanese people say that the plant is the cause of autumn hay fever, but they're mistaken. The true culprit is the common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). In winter, the Canadian goldenrod prepares for winter by producing fluffy pappi (scroll down).

2026/10/11

Common Straight Swift (Parnara Guttata) イチモンジセセリ（一文字挵）

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The common straight swift (Parnara guttata) is found across Japan, where it is a much-loved insect. While moths usually open their wings when resting and most butterflies keep theirs closed, the common straight swift sometimes rests with its wings open to absorb warmth from the sun. This behavior allowed me to see that its back is green (scroll down). You can also scroll down to see an ant carrying a dead common straight swift.

The butterfly's Japanese name is "ichimonji seseri," which translates to "straight-line skipper" due to the white spots aligned on its wings. In contrast, the small branded swift (Pelopidas mathias), which features white spots arranged in a circle, is called "chabane seseri" in Japanese, translating to "brown-wing skipper."

Personally, I really love common straight swifts because of their cute, squirrel-like eyes.

2026/10/4

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

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Fragile and lovely, the winter cherry (Cerasus x parvifolia 'Fuyu-zakura') is a crossbreed of Cerasus incisa and Cerasus speciosa. This tree differs from most other cherry trees in its blooming schedule. It blossoms twice a year—once in the winter (from October to December) and again in the spring—which is why it is called the 'winter cherry' in Japan.

It is also known as 'koba zakura,' which translates to 'small leaf cherry' due to its relatively small leaves. While these winter cherry blossoms are less vibrant, they last longer than other cherry blossoms, which generally fall within two weeks.

Some people see a winter cherry tree and say it's silly for blooming out of season. But whenever I hear that, I always think to myself, 'No, you're the silly one!😝 

2021/11/25

Pale Grass Blue (Pseudozizeeria Maha) 大和小灰蝶（ヤマトシジミ）

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A male pale grass blue butterfly (Pseudozizeeria maha) looks completely different depending on whether its wings are open (1st photo) or closed (2nd photo). With its wings closed, you might overlook it as a plain, small grey-and-white butterfly with black spots. When it opens them, however, you are greeted by the striking pale blue upperside that gives the species its name. (See the 5th photo to view both sides at once.) Because butterflies bask in the sun to warm their bodies, you are more likely to catch a glimpse of that vibrant blue during cooler sunny days.

The pale grass blue resembles the plains cupid (Luthrodes pandava) very much, except the latter has orange spots on its wings. I once mistook a plains cupid for a pale grass blue.

2025/11/2

Hamilton's Spindletree (Euonymus Hamiltonianus) マユミ（檀）

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Some plants bring you happiness throughout the year and Hamilton's spindletree (Euonymus hamiltonianus) is one of them. Native to East Asia, the plant can be found across Japan. It produces tiny, cream flowers from May to June and fruits in autumn. The fruits are four-lobed and green at first, later turning pale pink and cracking open to show seeds with red arils.

One great thing about photographing plants is that it makes people more talkative. When I was photographing Hamilton's spindle tree fruit this past September, two women approached me to ask what they were. I told them they were the fruits of a Hamilton's spindle tree, but the women insisted they were buds about to flower, not fruit. It was fun chatting with strangers about the little things.

2026/4/24

2025/5/9

Sawtooth Oak (Quercus Acutissima) クヌギ（櫟）

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The sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) is native to Northeast Asia and can be found all across Japan. While the tree is famous for its acorns, its unique cupules and flowers—which bloom from April to May—are also beautiful. The hanging flowers have always reminded me of a 'noren', the traditional fabric curtains hung at the entrance of Japanese izakaya restaurants 😆.

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

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They are toad lilies (Tricyrtis formosana). While this plant is typically said to flower from August to September, I’ve come to believe that toad lilies actually bloom year-round. I have seen them in May, as well as in December and September.

The plant is named after spots on a toad's skin and its preference for shady, moist places like toads. In Japan, however, the toad lily is called 'hototogisu,' which translates into 'lesser cuckoo.' This name also comes from the plant's spots, which look like the chest plumage of the bird to Japanese people. Perception varies.

2026/10/4

Sphaerophoria ミナミヒメヒラタアブ（南姫扁虻）

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Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus) is native to North America, introduced to Japan around 1920, and can now be found across the country. In fact, the plant is so prevalent as a weed that it is called "binbo gusa" (poor weed) or "binbo giku" (poor chrysanthemum) in some areas of Japan. Sitting on one Philadelphia fleabane is a tiny hoverfly (Sphaerophoria indiana). It is so small, yet very beautiful.

2026/10/4

A Bee with Pollen Baskets🐝 花粉荷を運ぶハチ🐝

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They are honey bees with pollen baskets. Pollen baskets are part of the tibia on the hind legs of some female bees. They pack pollen into these baskets to carry it back to their nest or hive. The bee in the last photo was covered in pollen and vibrating its body on a leaf. 

2023/7/5

Beef Jerky at Midnight 真夜中のビーフジャーキー

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On a weekday afternoon, I was in the office talking with a colleague of mine. He loves steak—in particular, grilled beef steak. As always, he was passionately telling me about his favorite steak restaurants. It was nearly 1 p.m. I had many things to do that afternoon, but he kept talking. I glanced at my phone, pretending to check the time, and when I looked up, I was surprised to see a slice of raw beef on his right palm. He said with a broad grin, "This is the best beef I've ever had. You should try this!"

 

An Elephant Never Forgets 英語の諺「象は忘れない」

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An elephant never forgets. Neither do I...

White-Banded Hunter Hawkmoth (Theretra Oldenlandiae) セスジスズメ（背筋雀）

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Impatiens hawkmoths, also known as white-banded hunter hawkmoths (Theretra oldenlandiae), can be found across Japan. Their caterpillars are a beautiful black, creating a stark contrast with their orange spots initially, before turning brownish prior to burrowing into the ground to pupate. They can also sometimes be pale green, as their body color varies depending on temperature and age. While the caterpillars have a chubby appearance, the adults look cool, resembling fighter jets. Adults can be found from May to October in Japan.  

2026/8/5

2026/10/3

Lost in Translation: A Case of A Pale View of Hills ロスト・イン・トランスレーション「遠い山並みの光」の場合

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I read A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro about ten years ago. The book was my second Ishiguro novel after Never Let Me Go. I enjoyed reading it, in particular the surprising tone change at the end of the story. The change is subtle, but I found it amazing that only a few words could completely change the perspective of the story. The passage was as follows:

Single-Flowered White Sasanqua Camellia with Pink Edges 一重でピンクの縁取りの白山茶花

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The Camellia sasanqua 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 colors vary from white to pink and red and so do the petal forms, ranging from single to double. The blooms in this post are single-flowered and white with pink edges and you can easily spot these blooms in many places across Tokyo. Single-flowered Camellia sasanquas may be less flashy but are as beautiful as the double-flowered ones. 

2026/9/27

White Magnolia (Yulan Magnolia) ハクモクレン（白木蓮）

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Yulan magnolia (Magnolia denudata) is native to central and eastern China but now can be found across Japan and in many places in Tokyo. The tree flowers from February to April, the earliest among magnolias growing in Japan. The flower's pure white creates a brilliant contrast against the blue sky.  

2026/3/2

2024/3/12

Confederate Rose (Hibiscus Mutabilis cv. Versicolor) スイフヨウ（酔芙蓉）

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These are Confederate roses (Hibiscus mutabilis cv. versicolor) and the first five photos are of one flower, taken at 10:00, 12:30, 15:30 and 16:30 on 16 September 2024 and at 5:30 on the following morning. After such a color change from pure white in the morning to pink in the afternoon, this type of Confederate roses is named "sui fuyou," which translates into "drunken Confederate rose."

The sixth and the last ones are red and white marbled. Some Japanese apricot trees produce such colored flowers but (I believe that) a Confederate rose tree producing such flowers is quite unusual. White apricot trees don't exist but red ones produce white or red/white marbled flowers when they cannot produce enough anthocyanins to make flowers red. The same may apply to this hibiscus tree. 

If you want to see peach, Japanese apricot, or lespedeza having white, pink/red or marble-colored flowers on a 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)

10:00 a.m., 2024/9/16

Asian Swallowtail (Papilio Xuthus) ナミアゲハ（並揚羽）

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The Asian swallowtail (Papilio xuthus) is found in Asia, Siberia and the Hawaiian Islands and can be found across Japan. Its female is known to have clearer blue areas in black bands on their hindwings, so most of those in these photos may be female. 

Butterflies usually close their wings when resting but are also known to open their wings to bask in the sun to warm their bodies, which gave me the moment to take these photos. 

2026/6/30

Shovel-Headed Garden Worm (Bipalium Kewense) コウガイビル（笄蛭）

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This is a shovel-headed garden worm (Bipalium kewense). When I first saw it, I almost screamed. Slowly moving, it looks harmless but it has surprisingly terrifying features.

Firstly, it carries tetrodotoxin, the same deadly poison found in pufferfish. Secondly, its mouth is in the middle of its belly and when finding its favorite food, e.g., earthworms, it pushes its stomach outside its body, wraps it around the worm, liquefies it, and drinks it 😱. Thirdly, this worm can split its own body to make clones, so it will not die even if it is cut up.

Originally from Southeast Asia, it traveled around the world hidden in the soil of potted plants and was first discovered in 1878 at the Kew Gardens in England. Because of this wandering and its hairpin shaped head (2nd photo), in Japan, the worm is called "watari kougai hiru," which translates to "wandering hairpin leech," although it's not a leech but a relative of a planarian. 

Funnily, despite these terrifying features, it often accidentally dries up and dies on hot asphalt after it rains.

2026/9/27

Butterfly Pea (Clitoria Ternatea) チョウマメ（蝶豆）

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Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) is native to tropical Asia and is said to have arrived in Japan in the mid-19th century. It produces blue, white, or reddish-orange flowers from July to November. While butterfly pea flowers can be brewed into a vibrant blue tea—and its leaves, shoots, and young pods are edible—other parts like the mature seeds and roots are toxic and can cause severe digestive upset.

2026/9/24

Deceiver (Laccaria Laccata) キツネタケ（狐茸）

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It's been raining on and off in Tokyo for the past month. I recently found these mushrooms, which appear to be deceivers. They weren't there the day before. Deceivers are edible and can be found around the world. In Japan, the mushroom is called "kitsunetake," which translates to "fox mushroom," due to its color.  

2026/9/24

2026/9/24

Grasshopper (Atractomorpha) オンブバッタ（負飛蝗）

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These are grasshoppers. Plan and simple. The twist, however, is their relationship. A man passing by while I was taking these photos said that they were a parent and a child. I thought so, too, but ha ha! We were both mistaken. They are actually male and a female and you know what? The bigger one is female. In other words, a male grasshopper, which is much smaller, is piggybacking on her😆! And that's why in Japan, this species is called "piggyback grasshopper."

2024/9/19 A female grasshopper is piggybacking a male counterpart
雌が雄をおんぶ

Red, White, and Yellow Spider Lily (Lycoris) ヒガンバナ（曼珠沙華/彼岸花）

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Spider lilies are native to China but can be found across Japan. They flower in September and therefore are called "Autumnal equinox flower" in Japanese. Spider lilies are known generally as red flowers (Lycoris radiata) but they produce white (Lycoris albiflora) and yellow (Lycoris traubii) flowers. A white spider lily is not a sibling of a red one, but a cross-breed of a red and a yellow spider lilies. It's interesting that a child of red and yellow flowers is white.

A yellow spider lily is called "Shouki zuisen" in Japanese, translating to "Zhong Kui lily" as its petals look like the beard of Zhong Kui, a demon hunter and Chinese deity who fights ghosts. 

Despite their beauty, red spider lilies are associated with death in Japan for an unfair but understandable reason. Although cremation is the most popular now, burial used to be common in Japan and therefore red spider lilies were planted to keep moles and other animals away from bodies because the plant's bulbs are poisonous. Spider lilies are called "higan bana," meaning "flowers during the higan period." "Higan" is a Buddhist holiday, i.e., three days before and after both the Spring equinox and Autumnal equinox. 

2025/9/26

Lespedeza (Bush Clovers) 萩（ハギ）

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The bush clover is native to east Asia and can be found across Japan. It's known as an autumn plant in Japan and its Japanese name "hagi" is a kigo or a seasonal word or phrase associated with a particular season used in traditional forms of Japanese poetry for autumn, but bush clovers actually flower from July to September and I once found a tree flowering in December (scroll down).

Bush clovers are known to produce pink flowers but they also have white flowers (Lespedeza buergeri) and some (Lespedeza  japonica bailey cv. versicolor) produce pink and white flowers on the same tree. 

2026/9/20

Pink and White Bush Clovers (Lespedeza Buergeri) キハギ（木萩）

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Pink and white bush clovers (Lespedeza buergeri) can be found across Japan. Generally, bush clovers produce pink/purple flowers but this type produces flowers which have the large white upper petal (banner) with a base and the two side petals (wings) both of which are purple. Lespedeza buergeri blooms from July to September, making it the earliest to flower among the bush clovers.

2026/9/20

2026/9/20

Camellia Fruits (Camellia Japonica and Camellia Sasanqua) 椿と山茶花の実

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Camellia trees in my neighborhood have started fruit and one of the differences between the Camellia japonica and the Camellia sasanqua is the fruit. 

Japanese people love Camellia so much that they talk a lot about how to distinguish between "japonica" and "sasanqua." One way to tell is to look at the size and skin of their fruits. Also, a Camellia japonica fruit is bigger (i.e., about 5 cm in diameter) with 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 the Camellia japonica is surprisingly the Alabama state flower.

If you're interested in another (easy!) way to tell the Camellia japonica from the Camellia sasanqua, read THIS post, too!!  

2026/9/20 Camellia japonica

Orange Sweet Osmanthus (Osmanthus Fragrans Var. Aurantiacus) キンモクセイ（金木犀）

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Orange sweet osmanthus (Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus), a variety of sweet osmanthus, is native to China and came to Japan in the 17th century. As its name suggests, the flowers are so fragrant that orange sweet osmanthus is designated as one of the three most fragrant flowers in Japan together with winter daphne and cape jasmine.

The orange sweet osmanthus has been propagated from cuttings in Japan because only male plants were imported to Japan. 

2026/9/19

Autumn Leaves of Flowering Dogwood (Cornus Florida) ハナミズキ（花水木）の紅葉

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One of the pleasures in autumn is to enjoy viewing leaves turn red and yellow. My favorite autumn leaves are maple, Chinese tallow, and those in these pictures. Flowering dogwood. It's a bit early for the best season but these orange and red leaves and bright red fruits are beautiful enough.  

2026/9/19

2024/10/21

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

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The Chinese tallow is one of my favorite plants for its beauty throughout the year, i.e., spike-like green flowers and three-lobed also beautiful green fruits from spring to summer, gorgeous gradients of red, orange, and yellow leaves in autumn (scroll down!), and chubby white seeds covered in capsules, which are green at first but turn black, in winter. The tree is native to China but can be found across Japan. Its leaves offer comfortable habitats to insects, like nettle caterpillars (scroll down) and yellow spotted stink bugs. 

2021/12/2

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

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These are fruits (drupes) of Cornus florida or dogwood flowers. Their flowers resemble those of Cornus kousa so much that it's not easy to tell but their fruits are completely different. Cornus florida shows unexpectedly gorgeous autumn leaves. 

2026/9/19

Corchoropsis カラスノゴマ（烏胡麻）

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Corchoropsis is native to east Asia and can be found across Japan, producing yellow flowers from August to September. There are several types of Corchoropsis in east Asia but Japan has only the type of those in these photos, Corchoropsis crenata Sieb. et Zucc. Its Japanese name is "karasu no goma," which translates into "crow's sesame," after the resemblance of its seeds to sesames and crows eating the seeds.

2026/9/17

Japanese Chestnut (Castanea Crenata) 日本グリ（和栗）

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Finding a still-green chestnut burr on the ground made me look up at the tree above me. The Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata) is native to Japan and Korea and can be found across Japan. Chestnuts are used for many dishes in Japan, not only sweets but also mixed rice or kuri gohan. 

There are the following types of chestnuts according to Adachi Otoemon, a confectionery shop in Kyoto: 

• Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata)
• Western chestnut (Castanea sativa)
• Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima)
• American chestnut (Castanea dentata)

I want to taste them all to decide which is the sweetest😋!

2026/9/4

Obedient Plant (Physostegia Virginiana) ハナトラノオ（花虎の尾）

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The obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) is native to North America, came to Japan from 1900 to 1920 for ornamental purposes, and can now be found across Japan, producing purple flowers from August to September. Its flowers from the front reminded me of small skullcaps (Scutellaria indica L. var. parvifolia (Makino) Makino)), but they're not related. 

2026/9/13

Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium Coelestinum) アオイロフジバカマ（青色藤袴）

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The blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) is native to North America and came to Japan in or after the Meiji period (1868-1912), producing blue flowers from July to October. Its Japanese name is "aoiro fujibakama," which translates into "blue fragrant eupatorium," after its color and resemblance to the fragrant eupatorium flower.

2026/9/13

False Heather (Cuphea Hyssopifolia) メキシコハナヤナギ（墨西哥花柳）

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The false heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia) is native to Mexico and said to have come to Japan from the Meiji to Taisho period (1868-1926).

2026/9/13

Orange Bracket Fungus (Pycnoporus Coccineus) ヒイロタケ（緋色茸）

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Orange bracket fungus (Pycnoporus coccineus) can be found in east Asia, Australia, North and South Americas, and Africa, so across Japan but Hokkaido. The mushroom is not inedible but too hard to eat. The bright orange bracket fungus is used to create natural textile dyes in Japan.

2026/9/13

Bitter Gourd (Momordica Charantia) ゴーヤ（苦瓜）

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Bitter gourds (Momordica charantia) are native to tropical Asia, came to Okinawa, i.e., one of the southern islands in Japan, in the early 15th century, and can now be found across Japan. The gourds are monoecious, which means they produce yellow, male and female flowers from July to August but it's easy to tell because the male has the yellow center while the female has the green center. They usually produce male flowers first to ensure the safe fertilization of the female ones. So, the ratio of male to female in early summer is about 10:1. 

Ripe orange gourds (scroll down) are edible including the red seeds and even jelly like stuff around the seeds. 

2026/8/10  A male flower

2020/8/8  Male and female flowers 雄花と雌花

Japanese Cornel Dogwood (Cornus Officinalis) サンシュユ（山茱萸）

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The Japanese cornel (Cornus officinalis) is native to China, Korea, and Japan and can be found across Japan. The tree produces umbels of bright yellow flowers from March to April and berries that get redder from October to November. 

The bright yellow of Japanese cornel flowers is called a "vitamin color" in Japan because it's said to energize people, which I believe is true. In spring, many stop in front of the trees to look at their pretty flowers talking about the joy of spring but surprisingly and sadly, most don't know the Japanese cornel. The Japanese cornel is one of the most underestimated trees because of their blossoming at almost the same time as cherry and Japanese apricot trees.    

2026/3/11

2026/3/11

Harlequin Glorybower (Clerodendrum Trichotomum) 臭木（クサギ）

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The color combination and contrast of harlequin glorybower's fruits always amazes me. Harlequin glorybower (Clerodendrum trichotomum) is native to east Asia and can be found across Japan, producing white flowers from July to September and fruits from October to November. The plant's Japanese name is "kusagi," which translates into "smelly tree," after its smelly stems and leaves. The fruits are blue, surrounded by red calyxes in autumn, which forms an incredibly beautiful stark color contrast.  

2026/9/9

Japanese Winterberry (Ilex Serrata) ウメモドキ（梅擬）

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Japanese winterberry (Ilex serrata) is native to China and Japan, so can be found across Japan. The winterberry produces cute, tiny (i.e., 3-4 mm in diameter) flowers from May to July and red fruits from September to next January, which turn red.  

Its Japanese name is "ume modoki," which translates into "fake Japanese apricot," after the resemblance of its leaves and branches to those of Japanese apricot. Do they? 

2026/9/5

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Sweet viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) is native to Asia and can be found across Japan. The tree produces clusters of white flowers from June to July and red berries from July to October in Japan and because of the color of the berries, the tree's Japanese name is "sango ju," which translates into "coral tree." The berries are beautiful but toxic. 

2026/9/4

Queen Coralbead (Cocculus Trilobus) アオツヅラフジ（青葛藤）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Queen coralbead (Cocculus trilobus) is native to east Asia and can be found across Japan, producing tiny cream flowers from July to August and fruits in autumn. The fruits are green at first but turn deep purple, which look like smaller blueberries but are toxic. 

2026/9/4