Lithocarpus Edulis (Japanese Stone Oak) 馬刀葉椎（マテバシイ）

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The Japanese stone oak (Lithocarpus edulis) is native to Japan and can be found across the country. The nuts are edible, tasting like chestnuts when baked (according to a website).  

In Japan, the nuts of Fagaceae trees, one of which is the Japanese stone oak, are collectively called "donguri" and there's a famous song for children about an acorn falling into a pond "Donguri korokoro (i.e., Rolling acorn)."    

The tree's Japanese name is "mateba shii," which translates into "a tree becoming a chinquapin tree soon," because people prefer(ed) chinquapin nuts to the Japanese stone oak nuts.

2026/6/14

Common Myrtle (Myrtus Communis) ギンバイカ（銀梅花）

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The common myrtle (Myrtus communis) is native to regions spanning the Mediterranean basin, North Africa, Western Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, came to Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912), and can now be found across the country. The myrtle produces white flowers from May to July in Japan. The common myrtle tree is considered in Feng Shui to bring luck if planted in the kimon (devil's gate) direction (i.e., north east).

2026/6/15

Chinese Trumpet Vine (Campsis Grandiflora) ノウゼンカズラ（凌霄花）

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These are Chinese trumpet vines (Campsis grandiflora). They're native to China, coming to Japan in as early as the Heian period (794 to 1185) and used as kigo for summer. (A kigo is a word or phrase associated with a particular season in haiku or Japanese poetry.)  

Flowers of Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora) resemble those of American trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) very much. Both are orange and shaped like trumpets, but are still distinctly different in the length of the flower tube. Chinese ones have shorter and thicker flower tubes than the American counterparts. 

The phrase contained in the Japanese name "nouzen kazura" means "vine blooming towards the sky." The bright orange flowers were literally blooming towards the sky!! 

2026/6/14

2025/6/22

Japanese Ternstroemia (Ternstroemia Gymnanthera) 木斛（モッコク）

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Japanese ternstroemia trees are said to be the king of garden trees in Japan and there's a reason for that. They produce tiny buds in early June, which look like cat's paws, and then beautiful male and hermaphroditic flowers from late June to July. And in autumn, they bear fruits, which turn from green to red, and some of them stick out bright red seeds like tongues after cracking. Japanese ternstroemia trees bring us happiness throughout the year. 

2026/6/14

Plantain Lily (Hosta) ギボウシ（擬宝珠）

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Plantain lilies are native to eastern Asia and about 20 types of Hosta can be found across Japan, producing pale pink flowers from June to August. Their young leaves and petioles are edible, used in various Japanese dishes such as salads, pickles, and miso soup.  

The lily's Japanese name is "giboshi" or "giboshu," a type of ornamental finial used on Japanese railings (no English translation), after the shape of the lily's bud looking like the finial.

2026/6/14

Coppertips (Crocosmia x Crocosmiiflora) 姫檜扇水仙（ヒメヒオウギスイセン）

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The Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora is a cross breed of Crocosmia aurea and Crocosmia pottsii, both of which are native to South Africa. The Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora was introduced to Japan at the end of the 19th century for ornamental purposes but because of its invasiveness, the plant has been designated as an invasive alien species by some prefectures.

Its Japanese name is "hime hiogi suisen," which translates into "princess blackberry lily narcissus," because of the resemblance of its leaves to those of blackberry lilies and the bulbs to those of narcissus. The term "hime," which means princess, is used to describe its smallness.  

2026/6/14

Apple Mint (Mentha Suaveolens) アップルミント

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A weevil was resting on, and a bee was gathering pollen from, flowers of apple mints in my neighborhood. They're growing on the sidewalk. I have no idea about how they got there. 

2026/6/13

2026/6/13

Hydrangea 'Magical Revolution' マジカルレボリューション

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Hydrangea macrophylla 'Magical Revolution' is really magical from two perspectives. Firstly, its spectacular, color-shifting transformation. The hydrangea changes from pale pink, blue, and green in early summer to red toward autumn. (Scroll down!) Secondly, its long life! The hydrangea's sepals (not petals!) are so sturdy that they can bloom for two to three months while changing color.  

It changes color to red in autumn due to increasing anthocyanin resulting from a change in the temperature and/or the amount of ultraviolet radiation. For whatever the reason, the hydrangea is just magically amazing. 

2026/5/29

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera Sempervirens) 突抜忍冬（ツキヌキニンドウ）

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The coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is native to North America, came to Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912), and can now be found across Japan. One of its features is its bright red and orange blooms during May to September in Japan, which is shown in its English name while another is in its Japanese name "tsukinuki nindou," which translates into "penetrating honeysuckle," after the stem looking like penetrating a leaf.   

2025/4/29

Oriental Arborvitae (Platycladus Orientalis) コノテガシワ（児の手柏）

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I've always wondered what they are when passing by them for the last couple years and today, I did research, finding they're cones of the Oriental arborvitae. The tree is native to China and can be found across Japan.  

The Oriental arborvitae is hermaphroditic, producing orangish beige male and female flowers on the same tree from March to April, which I completely missed this year. 

2026/6/11

Lily (Lilium) ユリ（百合）

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Lilies are native to Asia, Europe, and North America. There are more than 100 wild species around the world and 15 in Japan, producing flowers in various colors from May to August in Japan, of which I've seen pale pink, yellow (scroll down), red (Blackout red), and orange (Thunberg orange). The lily bulb (mainly the Maximowicz's lily's [Lilium leichtlinii]) is edible, often steamed, sauteed or deep-fried (i.e., tempura), as a seasonal delicacy in Japan. So, if you have a chance to come to Japan in winter, don't miss eating lily bulb or "yurine" TEMPURA to enjoy its soft and fluffy texture.  

The lily's Japanese name is "yuri" after the term "yusuri," which means shaking or trembling, because lilies shake and/or tremble in the wind as their stems are thin but the flowers are big.

2026/6/11 Lilium concolor, an Asiatic hybrid

Various Lacecap Hydrangeas 額紫陽花（ガクアジサイ）いろいろ

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It's almost impossible to classify lacecap hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla f. normalis) based on color. Each one has cream, yellow, blue, purple, green, pink, and red fertile flowers surrounded by green, pink, blue, purple, red, and even white sterile decorative sepals, changing their gradients as time passes. It's reasonable that one of its Japanese names is "shichi henge," which translates into "seven changes." To see lacecap hydrangeas in pink or purple, read this post! 

2026/6/10

2026/6/10

Chinese Spiranthes (Spiranthes Sinensis) ネジバナ（捩花）

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The Chinese spiranthes (Spiranthes sinensis) is native to Eurasia and Australia and can be found across Japan, producing pink flowers from May to August. As a plant found across Japan, the Chinese spiranthes is used as kigo, i.e., a word or phrase associated with a particular season in haiku or Japanese poetry, for mid-summer, the period from June 6 to July 6. Interestingly, some spiral clockwise while others counter clockwise. There is no established theory to explain what determines the direction of the spiral.

2026/6/10

Trumpet Vine (Campsis Radicans) アメリカノウゼンカズラ

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The trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) is native to eastern North America, imported to Japan during the Taisho period (1912-1926) for ornamental purposes. Its Japanese name is "amerika nozen kazura," which translates into "American trumpet vine," because Japan has two trumpet vines, the American trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) and the Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora). Both resemble each other but the American one (Campsis radicans) has longer and thinner flower tubes than the Chinese counterpart. 

The phrase "nouzen kazura," which is contained in the Japanese name of both trumpet vines, means "vine blooming towards the sky." The bright orange flowers literally bloom towards the sky. 

2026/6/5

Persian Silk Tree (Albizia Julibrissin) ネムノキ（合歓木）

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These are flowers of a Persian silk tree or pink silk tree (Albizia julibrissin). Persian silk trees fold their leaves during the night, which makes them look asleep, so they're called in Japanese "nemu no ki," which translates to "sleeping tree."  

A Persian silk tree is popular in Japan as suggested that it's a kigo* for summer. It's also often used as a theme for paintings, such as the one in the last photo "Sparrow in a silk tree" by Keibun Matsumura at Tokyo National Museum.

* Kigo are words or phrases that are associated with a particular season in haiku or Japanese poetry.

2023/9/9

African Iris (Dietes Bicolor) ディエテス・ビコロル/オキナワシャガ

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It looks like smiling to you, doesn't it? This is an African iris (Dietes bicolor). When seeing it for the first time, I didn't use Google Lens yet, so I did research using several keywords in Japanese, such as "flower," "white," and "look like a smiling face," which generated only one hit, "African iris." African irises are native to, and very common in, South Africa while in Japan, not the flowers but the sword like leaves are used for Japanese flower arrangement. 

2026/6/4

Annabelle Hydrangea (Hydrangea Arborescens 'Annabelle') アナベル

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Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle') is a cultivar of Hydrangea arborescens. The hydrangea is a late bloomer, producing flowers from May to July, which are lime green at first, turning white. Below are the shots of various hydrangeas. Hope you enjoy them!

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Ayesha' (Popcorn hydrangea)

Hydrangea changing from pale green to white then to pale blue
Hydrangea blooming all year round (Hydrangea serrata var. yesoensis f. cuspidata cv.)

Purple and pink lacecap hydrangeas

Various lacecap hydrangeas

Pink mophead hydrangea

Kurenai lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai')

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

Tea of heaven 'Mikata-yae' (blue Hydrangea serrata)

Nettle-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea hirta)

White and whitish hydrangea

2026/6/2

Pomegranate (Punica Granatum) ザクロ（柘榴）

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The pomegranate (Punica granatum) originated in the region spanning from the west to south Asia to the Middle East. It produces bright orange flowers in June and fruits that contain ruby-like edible seeds and pulp from September to October in Japan. 

The flowers always cheer me up with their bright orange while making me chuckle with their unique shape after petals fall off, which looks like an octopus sausage, i.e., a sausage cut to look like an octopus, often seen in children’s Bento lunches in Japan. BTW, octopuses have no legs but only arms.

If you've never seen a sculpture of a pomegranate fruit made of agate and ruby, read this post! You should be surprised by how real it looks!  

2025/6/8

Double "Sepaled" Lacecap Hydrangeas 八重額紫陽花（ヤエガクアジサイ）

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Double-sepaled lacecap hydrangeas are different from usual (single-petaled) ones. They're more gorgeous. If you love hydrangeas, read the posts below! 

Red mophead hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' (Annabelle hydrangea)

Hydrangea macrophylla Ayesha (Popcorn Hydrangea)

Hydrangea changing from pale green to white then to pale blue
Hydrangea blooming all year round (Hydrangea serrata var. yesoensis f. cuspidata cv.)

Purple and pink lacecap hydrangeas

Pink mophead hydrangea

Colorful tea of heaven (Hydrangea serrata)

Kurenai lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai')

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

Tea of heaven 'Mikata-yae' (blue Hydrangea serrata)

Nettle-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea hirta)

White and whitish hydrangea

Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle')

2026/5/26

White/Whitish Hydrangea 白い紫陽花

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These are white hydrangeas in my neighborhood. Many of them are pale/lime green before turning white. 

2026/6/5

2026/6/5  A fertile flower

Double Flowered Fish Mint 八重咲きのドクダミ

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Fish mints (Houttuynia cordata) are native to Asia and can be found across Japan. Those in the post are specifically double-flowered fish mints (Houttuynia cordata var. Plenus), one of my favorite plants! Fish mints produce beautiful white flowers from May to August in Japan although what look like petals are actually bracts as those of Cornus kousa are. 

Fish mints are used in Chinese medicine and in Japan, fish mint tea is said to be effective for skin problems. I suffered from severe acne in my teenage years so my late maternal granny sometimes sent me fish mint tea bags. I don't know if they were effective but I believe that thanks to the tea, I have no acne or any serious skin problems now. 

2026/5/29 Triplets

Popcorn Hydrangea (Hydrangea Macrophylla Ayesha) ウズアジサイ（渦紫陽花）

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They're one of my favorite hydrangeas, popcorn hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla Ayesha). Needless to say, the hydrangea is named after the shape of its sepals, which resembles that of popcorns.

2022/6/16  

2022/6/16

Purple Hydrangea 紫の紫陽花

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A hydrangea changing from pink to purple and other purple hyerangeas. Below are the shots of hydrangeas I've seen so far.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Ayesha' (Popcorn hydrangea)

Hydrangea changing from pale green to white then to pale blue
Hydrangea blooming all year round (Hydrangea serrata var. yesoensis f. cuspidata cv.)

Purple and pink lacecap hydrangeas

Various lacecap hydrangeas

Pink mophead hydrangea

Kurenai lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai')

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

Tea of heaven 'Mikata-yae' (blue Hydrangea serrata)

Nettle-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea hirta)

White and whitish hydrangea

Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle')

2026/6/4

2026/6/4  Fertile flower

Japanese Wax (Toxicodendron Succedaneum) ハゼノキ（櫨の木）

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The red color in early June caught my eye. They're leaves of the Japanese wax tree (Toxicodendron succedaneum). According to the internet, they can turn red in June due to sun protection, which makes sense to me. Despite being still June, the weather was like real summer, which must have resulted in them suddenly exposed to intense, direct summer sun, producing high levels of anthocyanin. 

2026/6/2

Chinese Fringetree (Chionanthus Retusus) ヒトツバタゴ（一つ葉タゴ）/ナンジャモンジャ

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These are flowers of a Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus). The Chinese fringetree is native to China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan and can be found across Japan. The tree produces beautiful white flowers from April to May (which, before fully open, look to me like aliens floating in the air) and black fruits (scroll down) from September to October, which are inedible and avoided even by birds.

The Chinese fringetree has male and hermaphrodite trees, the same as the Japanese ternstroemia (Ternstroemia gymnanthera). I did research to find out the sex of the tree but in vain.  

2026/4/26

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. 

2026/6/2

Small Venus' Looking-Glass (Triodanis Biflora) ヒナキキョウソウ（雛桔梗草）

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The small Venus' looking-glass (Triodanis biflora) is native to North America. Its naturalization in Japan was confirmed in the 1930s and the plant can now be found across the country. The small Venus' looking-glass produces purple flowers from May to July, which resemble Triodanis perfoliata very much but it's not so difficult to distinguish them. Triodanis biflora generally produces a single flower at the apex of a stem while Triodanis perfoliata usually produces multiple flowers. How their leaves attach to the stem is also different.  

2026/6/2

Purpletop Vervain (Verbena Bonariensis) ヤナギハナガサ（柳花笠）

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The purpletop vervain (Verbena bonariensis) is native to South America, was imported to Japan for horticultural purposes and can now be found across the country. It produces clusters of tiny pink flowers from June to October. The plant's Japanese name is "yanagi hanagasa," which translates into "willow flower hat," after its willow leaf shaped leaves (the willow translates into "yanagi" in Japanese) and the flower looking like a hanagasa, a hat decorated with flowers used in Japanese traditional festivals.  

2026/5/29

Early Amethyst (Callicarpa Dichotoma) コムラサキ（小紫）

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Early amethyst (Callicarpa dichotoma) is native to Asia and can be found across Japan. It produces tiny pale pink flowers in clusters from July to August and tiny drupes also in clusters from September to November. The fruits are green at first and then turn purple. (Scroll down!!) Its Japanese name is "komurasaki," which translates into "small East Asian beautyberry," after the two resembling each other but the former (i.e., early amethyst) being smaller than the latter.  

Their Japanese names both contain "muraski," which means purple and Murasaki Shikibu or Lady Purple. Lady Purple is a Japanese novelist, poet and court lady at the Imperial court in the Heian period (794- 1185), known as the author of The Tale of Genji, which is said to be the world's oldest long novel.

2026/6/1

Stilt Bug (Berytidae) A Head is Hidden but a Butt Sticks Out. イトカメムシ 頭隠して尻隠さず

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A stilt bug on a lemon balm leaf. The 1st photo is the bug on the leaf, entirely visible. The 2nd photo is after the bug hiding under the leaf, which can be described in a Japanese saying "Atama kakushite shiri kakusazu," which translates into "A head is hidden but a butt sticks out," meaning a half-hearted attempt at hiding.   

2026/6/1

Two-Toned Mophead Hydrangeas 縁取りの紫陽花と上野（谷中）天王寺

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In Japan, June is the month of rain and hydrangeas, and people across the nation enjoy their various types. Those in this post are one of them, two-toned mophead hydrangeas.

I saw some of such blooms at Tennoji temple in Ueno Tokyo, which has an interesting history. The temple originally belonged to the Nichiren school of Buddhism but was persecuted by the Edo government and at the end of the 17th century forcefully converted to the Tendai school with two monks at the temple being sent away to a distant island. This occurred because the Nichiren school refuted other Buddhist schools, provoking the anger of not only the priests but also the country's rulers, resulting in the persecution of the Nichiren sect and temples of that sect. 

But now, nothing at the temple reminds visitors of such a history. The old temple just sits there with beautiful hydrangeas.

2021/6/9 at Tennoji temple

2026/5/29

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

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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. 

2026/5/28

Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea Quercifolia) カシワバアジサイ（柏葉紫陽花）

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These are oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia). As suggested by the name, they have oak leaf shaped leaves. The flowers are greenish white at first but turn white and then red. The leaves also turn red in autumn. Like other hydrangeas, what look like petals are not petals but are sepals. Some blooms below (scroll down) are called "harmony" oakleaf hydrangeas. If you like hydrangeas, read the following posts!

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Ayesha' (Popcorn hydrangea)

Hydrangea changing from pale green to white then to pale blue
Hydrangea blooming all year round (Hydrangea serrata var. yesoensis f. cuspidata cv.)

Purple and pink lacecap hydrangeas

Various lacecap hydrangeas

Pink mophead hydrangea

Kurenai lacecap hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai')

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

Tea of heaven 'Mikata-yae' (blue Hydrangea serrata)

Nettle-leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea hirta)

White and whitish hydrangea

Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle')

2026/5/29

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

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The Asiatic dayflower (Commelina Communis) is native to eastern Asia and can be found across Japan. It produces blue flowers from June to September in Japan, which look to me like a mantis head. The flower has been appreciated in Japan, mentioned in the Man'yōshū (i.e., the oldest extant collection of Japanese poetry in Classical Japanese), compiled sometime after 759 during the Nara period. 

The plant's Japanese name is "tsuyukusa," which translates into "dew plant," because of its brief lifespan, like morning dew.

2026/5/29

Canary Grass (Phalaris Canariensis) カナリークサヨシ（加那利草葦）

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The Canary grass (Phalaris canariensis) is native to southern Europe and the Canary Islands. It was introduced to Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868) as food for canaries but can now be found across the country. It produces oval-to-cylindrical flower spikes (panicles) from May to August in Japan.  

It was my first time to see the grass and I looked forward to observing the plant, so it was so sad to find everything in the area where the grass was growing entirely removed on the following day.

2026/5/27

Lesser Trefoil (Trifolium Dubium) コメツブツメクサ（米粒詰草）

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The lesser trefoil (Trifolium dubium) is native to Europe and western Asia. The plant was discovered in Japan in the 1930s. The plant produces spherical clusters (less than 1 cm in diameter) of yellow flowers, which are as small as rice grains, from April to July in Japan, and that's why it's called in Japanese "kometsubu tsumekusa," which translates into "rice grain clover." 

The plant means "Let's eat rice" and "little love flower" in Japanese floriography. Let's eat rice... Can it be a flower meaning?  

2026/5/27

A Crane Fly on Bushkiller ヤブガラシ（薮枯）の上のガガンボ？

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Bushkiller (Causonis japonica) is native to Japan and can be found across the country. The plant produces flowers from June to August in Japan, which are pale green at first, turning orange and then pink. (Scroll down to see such various colors of the flowers!) Bushkiller's Japanese name is "yabu garashi," which translates into "bush covering and killing other plants" due to its invasiveness.   

2026/5/27

A crane fly on bushkiller　ヤブガラシの上のガガンボ

White Colicroot (Aletris Spicata) ソクシンラン（束心蘭）

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The white colicroot (Aletris spicata) is native to Asia and can be found across Japan. It produces tiny white pale pink/beige flowers from April to June in Japan. When I took these photos, they were still buds, so I decided to observe their growth until they bloom, but when going there again the following day, I found everything there had been removed, which may be a preparation for summer.    

2026/5/27

Spotted Bellflower (Campanula Punctata) ホタルブクロ（蛍袋）

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The spotted bellflower (Campanula punctata) is native to Japan, Korea, China, and Siberia and can be found across Japan. The plant produces white and pale purple flowers from June to July. Its Japanese name is "hotaru bukuro," which translates into "firefly pouch bag," because children in Japan used to play with the flowers by putting fireflies into them. A firefly in a spotted bellflower must have been so beautiful although it must have been a horrifying experience for claustrophobic fireflies😱.   

2025/5/21

Slender Deutzia (Deutzia Gracilis) ヒメウツギ（姫空木）

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Slender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) is native to Japan and can be found across the country. The plant produces white flowers from May to June. Deutzia's Japanese name is "utsugi," which translates to "hollow tree" because its stems are hollow. Surprisingly (to me), Deutzia is in the hydrangea family. 

2025/5/21

Dock (Rumex) ギシギシがいっぱい

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

There are a variety of dock (Rumex) and those in these photos are some of them. I first tried to identify them like Japanese dock, spinach dock, common sorrel, etc., but gave up. Too many types and too subtle the differences are😂. But finding so many people discussing how to identify each dock on websites shows that the dock is loved around the world including Japan!

From a distance, the dock is just green (or sometimes red) leaves (or just weeds) but when looked closely, the plant shows tiny but beautiful cream/red perianth. The Japanese name of most types of dock contains the term "gishi gishi," which is Onomatopoeia, after the sound produced when the stems are rubbed (which I haven't tried). 

2026/5/27

Hollyhock (Alcea Rosea) 立葵（タチアオイ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are native to Turkey and East Europe but can be found across Japan. The plant produces white, pink, purple, and red flowers (single and double flowered) from June to August in Japan. Their Japanese name is "tachi aoi," which translates into "standing mallow," and mallows have a special connotation in Japan. 

"Mitsuba aoi," which translates to "three leafed mallow," is the crest of the Tokugawa clan, who ruled Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). This is known nationwide even now because of a long run "samurai" television program about Mitsukuni Tokugawa (1628-1701), one of the grandchildren of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. This period drama was aired initially from 1969 to 2011 and is still rerun now.   

In the drama, Mitsukuni travels throughout the country incognito to discover and investigate injustice and in the end defeats and punishes corrupt samurai and merchants. At the end of each episode, Mitsukuni (or more specifically, one of his two samurai retainers) brandishes an "inro" pillbox with the "three leafed mallow" crest to reveal Mitsukuni's identity, i.e., a member of the Tokugawa clan. (By the way, although Mitsukuni existed and was a relation of the shogun, the drama episodes are all fictional.)

Interestingly, however, the Tokugawa clan's crest is not "three leafed mallow" actually but Asarum caulescens Maxim., which is a very plain, two-leafed or heart shaped plant. The Tokugawa clan's crest, three-leafed mallow, is said to be modeled on this plain plant.

Then, another question comes up. Why did someone who wanted to rule the country choose such a plain plant as their crest? One website says that many samurai clans during the age of warring states (1467-1615) chose plain plants as their crests to show that they were strong and hardy enough to survive in such harsh circumstances as these plants were. 

2026/5/27