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

Variegated Japanese Camellia (Camellia Japonica)　斑入り椿

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

There are more than 250 types of Japanese camellias and more than a thousand for camellias, i.e., Japanese camellias and sasanqua camellias. This variegated one is one of them. Variegated camellias are caused by viral infections, genetic mutations, or other reasons and have been appreciated and improved in Japan as an "oddity" since the Edo period (1603-1867).

2026/3/21

Flowering Peach (Prunus Persica Hanamomo)　ハナモモ（花桃）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Flowering peach trees are native to China, cultivated for ornamental purposes, and have been improved in Japan to produce more flowers since the Edo period (1603 to 1868). The trees generally bloom from March to April. The flower color ranges from white to red and red and white marble. The Japanese name "hanamomo" translates to "flower peach." Unusually, the English and Japanese names coincide.

2026/3/20

2025/3/27

"Thousand-Flowered" Pink, Red, and White Japanese Camellias　千重咲きのピンク、赤、白の椿

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica) has many cultivars and this is one of them, "thousand flowered" Japanese camellias. You don't see stamens because their stamens (and pistils) have disappeared or degenerated, or changed into petals.

The fact that these camellias have no stamens gave rise to one question for me, i.e. how a thousand flowered camellia dies. Will it fall off in its entirety like other usual Japanese camellias even though it has no stamens? The question occurred to me because the stamens of Japanese camellias (more specifically, the filament part) connect with petals, which allows their unique way of dying as opposed to sasanqua camellias, which die with petals falling off one by one without such connection. The answer is in the 7th photo. Even without stamens, a thousand flowered Japanese camellia falls off in its entirety. A Japanese camellia is a Japanese camellia whether it has stamens or not.

2026/3/21

2026/3/8

2026/1/17

2026/3/8

Somei Yoshino Cherry Blossoms (Prunus x Yedoensis)　染井吉野（ソメイヨシノ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is the second time writing about Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms (Prunus x yedoensis or Cerasus x yedoensis) this year. I usually write about one plant a year, but who can resist such delicate, gorgeous, and transient beauty?

There are a variety of cherry trees but Somei Yoshino is so special in Japan that the term "cherry blossoms" often means Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms are all gorgeous but differently from other flowers, i.e., always associated with death or ephemerality because of their short life span of one to two weeks.

The beauty reminds me of "The Makioka Sisters" by Junichiro Tanizaki, which ends with cherry blossoms viewing in Kyoto. The novel has no plot but is so intriguingly beautiful, based on the real life of the sisters of Tanizaki's wife, with a writing style which currently may not be necessarily popular due to long sentences. Its original title "sasame yuki" translates to "light snow," a metaphor of the Makioka family, which is declining and therefore showing the ephemeral beauty as cherry blossoms. The novel was translated into English by Edward G. Seidensticker. It's pretty long but worthwhile reading if you're interested in Japanese culture.

Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms are pinkish white as opposed to Oshima cherry blossoms, which at first are whitish pink, then turn to baby pink. If you're interested in other types of cherry blossoms, read the posts below!!

2025/4/6

Springstar (Ipheion Uniflorum)　ハナニラ（花韮）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Springstars or spring startflowers (Ipheion uniflorum) are native to Argentina, coming to Japan during the Meiji era (1868-1912). The plant produces flowers ranging from white to purple in spring. Its Japanese name is "hananira," translating into "flower Chinese chives" due to its smell. No worries though. It doesn't smell unless the leaves are ripped or torn. The plant is toxic however.

2026/3/20

Japan Has Two Star-of-Bethlehem Flowers　大甘菜とハナニラ、英語はどちらも星！

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Japan has two types of star-of-Bethlehem flowers and their Japanese names differ depending on whether they are smelly or not. The non-smelly one (the first and second photos), or "grass lily" or "nap-at-noon," is called in Japanese "large sweet vegetable" while the other smelly one (in the third photo) "flower Chinese chive."

2020/4/27

Carolina Cranesbill (Geranium Carolinianum)　アメリカフウロ（亜米利加風露）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Carolina cranesbill (Geranium carolinianum) is native to North America but now can be found across Japan. The plant was discovered in Kyoto in 1932. Carolina cranesbill produces tiny flowers (1 cm in diameter) from late April to June in Japan but its fruits look like devils🤣 (see the last two photos)!

2026/3/15

Crimson Clover　ベニバナツメクサ（紅花詰草）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Crimson clovers (Trifolium incarnatum) are native to Europe and West Asia, coming to Japan during the Meiji era (1868-1912) as forage crops. The clovers flower from April to June in Japan but die due to heat in summer.

2026/3/15

Kawazu Cherry (Cerasus x Kanzakura 'Kawazu-Zakura')　カワヅサクラ（河津桜）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Kawazu cherry is a crossbreed of Oshima cherry (Prunus speciosa) and Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata) and named in 1972 after the Kawazu town, Shizuoka prefecture (Source: Kawazu town tourist association). Kawazu cherry trees bloom from early February to March, a little earlier than other cherry trees. A Kawazu cherry blossoms festival is held in the town every February.

Below is a list I've enjoyed viewing for the last couple of years. Hope you'll enjoy them, too!

2026/2/28

Weeping Willow (Salix Babylonica)　シダレヤナギ（枝垂柳）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Weeping willow trees are native to China, coming to Japan during the Nara period (710 to 794). The trees are known for their highly flexible, long, and pendulous twigs, under which ghosts are said to appear in Japan. The flowers, however, are unexpectedly pretty. The willows are dioecious and I think those in these pictures are male.

2026/3/15

Mottainai - Make it Work or Let it Go?　もったいない？あきらめる？

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

"I'll marry him because it's mottainai."

Modesty Matters More Than Honesty　正直より謙遜

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It's often said in Japan that if you’re chatting at someone’s house in Kyoto and are told "ぶぶ漬けでもどうですか（Bubuzuke* demo dodesuka [How about ochazuke])?," the person actually means, "It's time for you to leave." Likewise, if your Japanese coworker says, "今度またお昼でも (Kondo mata ohiru demo [Let's have lunch together sometime])," he or she should really mean that they’ve got to go. * Bubuzuke is a Kyoto word for ochazuke.

Red Deadnettle (Lamium Purpureum)　ヒメオドリコソウ（姫踊子草）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Red deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) is native to Europe and came to Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912) and now can be found across Japan. The plant resembles henbit deadnettle very much but their leaf colors differ. Red deadnettle's leaves are (as the name suggests) reddish while henbit deadnettle's leaves are green. I often mistook red deadnettle for henbit but not anymore. The 6th photo shows myrmecochory, i.e., the dispersal of seeds by ants.

2026/2/23

2026/3/15

Buttercup Witch Hazel (Corylopsis Pauciflora)　ヒュウガミズキ（日向水木）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The winter hazel or the buttercup witch hazel (Corylopsis pauciflora) is native to Japan and Taiwan. This winter hazel resembles another type of winter hazel, Corylopsis spicata, and because of that I couldn't tell which was which but I think I can now. The trees in these photos have a cluster of only 1 to 3 flowers, as opposed to Corylopsis spicata, which usually has a cluster of 5 to 8 flowers.

2026/3/15

Pink Star Magnolia (Magnolia Stellata)　ベニシデコブシ（紅四手辛夷）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) is native to Japan, producing flowers ranging from white to pink. The flowers in these photos are pink ones.

2026/3/15

2026/3/20

Star Magnolia (Magnolia Stellata)　シデコブシ（四手辛夷）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) is native to Japan, flowering in early spring. The plant resembles white magnolia (Yulan magnolia), but there are several differences. Star magnolia flowers are star-shaped and a little smaller than white magnolia. The way of flowering is also different, i.e., star magnolia flowers fully open while white magnolias only half open even when in full bloom.

On 13 September 2025, I found something interesting. A star magnolia tree had several fruits beside another tree with many buds, one of which was half open (4th photo). This is, however, not unusual (at least in Japan). Magnolias are known to flower outside the flowering season due to unusual weather or other reasons. This magnolia tree may have produced buds and flowers in September because of the extremely hot summer this year.

2026/3/15

2024/3/19

Winter Hazel (Corylopsis)　ヒュウガミズキ（日向水木）、トサミズキ（土佐水木）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Winter hazel (Corylopsis) is native to eastern Asia and can be found across Japan. The plant produces a cluster of 1 to 8 yellow flowers from March to April. So pretty!

In Japan, you would see mainly two types of Corylopsis, Corylopsis pauciflora and Corylopsis spicata, and there are several differences according to the internet. A Corylopsis pauciflora tree produces a cluster of 1 to 3 flowers with yellow anthers while a Corylopsis spicata tree is larger, producing a cluster of 7 to 8 flowers with red anthers. So, it should be easy to tell one from the other but it's not for me. The post therefore contains photos of both types. When I become able to tell which is which, I'll create a post for Corylopsis pauciflora and Corylopsis spicata each.

2026/3/8

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

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

White Daphne (Daphne Odora Alba)　シロバナジンショウゲ（白花沈丁花）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is Daphne odora Alba. Winter daphne is native to southern China, coming to Japan before the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573) and now can be found across Japan. As one of the most fragrant plants in Japan with cape jasmine and orange sweet osmanthus, winter daphne produces fragrant flowers from February to April. Winter daphne usually produces white and pink flowers, but it also produces white and "cream white" flowers.

2026/3/8

Variegated Camellias　斑入り椿

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

You would find Japanese camellias here and there in Tokyo (and across Japan) but not so often when it comes to variegated blooms.

Interestingly, some camellia trees have blooms of different colors, e.g., deep pink, pale pink, and variegated, depending on the amount of anthocyanins. The tree in the 1st and 2nd photos has only one variegated bloom while the tree in the 5th photo has both pink and variegated blooms. Nature always fascinates me!

Japanese camellias have been appreciated since at least the 8th century in Japan and cultivated for a long time across Japan (and in other countries, too). As a result, there currently exist about 250 types of Japanese camellias worldwide.

2026/3/6

Yaoyorozu No Kami (Eight Million Deities) - Everything Flows

I've been looking for some guidance in life for the last couple of years. I thought I would be able to find one in the teachings of True Pure Land Buddhism because I come from a family of the school, but I wasn't able to. The True Pure Land school teaches that enlightenment can be realized through "tariki" or "other power" but I don't believe in "other power" to attain enlightenment.

Smiling Monkey Forest Tree (Magnolia Maudiae)　ミヤマガンショウ（深山含笑）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Smiling monkey forest trees (Magnolia maudiae) are native to China but can be found in some places in Tokyo (although not as often as you would find Yulan magnolias).

I did research about why the magnolia is called "smiling monkey forest tree" but couldn't find any good origin of the name. Interestingly, its Japanese name translates into "smiling flowers in deep mountains." Maybe everyone seeing the flower is reminded of someone's or monkeys' smiling face.

2026/2/28

Cucumber Herb (Trigonotis Peduncularis)　胡瓜草（キュウリグサ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Small plants have woken up from winter sleep. These are cucumber herbs (Trigonotis peduncularis). Cucumber herbs are native to Asia, producing tiny flowers (0.2-0.3 cm in diameter) from March to May. Because of such tininess, they're invisible, often removed or trampled without being noticed. But no worries. Cucumber herbs are so hardy that they always survive, bringing you happiness.

2026/2/28