Oriental Beetle (Anomala Orientalis) セマダラコガネ（背斑金亀子）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The oriental beetle (Anomala orientalis) is native to the Philippines and/or Japan and can be found across Japan. Its Japanese name is "semadara kogane," which translates into "Japanese beetle with spots on the back," well describing its features, doesn't it? 

The beetle wasn't a major pest in Japan but it's been known as a garden pest in other countries. A byproduct of globalization. 

2026/6/19

2026/6/19

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 single and double flowered white, pink, purple, and red flowers (scroll down!) from June to August in Tokyo. 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. 

I found a (maybe) varied carpet beetle covered in pollen in the center of a white flower (the first 3 photos). The beetle must have been having breakfast but looked to me like playing with pollen by itself.   

2026/6/17

Chinese Cucumber (Trichosanthes Kirilowii) キカラスウリ（黄烏瓜）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Chinese cucumbers (Trichosanthes kirilowii) are native to China and Japan. They're dioecious, producing white "hairy" flowers from June to September and fruits from August to October. The fruits are green at first and then turn yellow. They're edible but not tasty. Someone says on the internet that he would never eat it unless famine comes😆. It's not so difficult to find Chinese cucumber flowers in Tokyo but not so when it comes to the fruits. It seems Chinese cucumbers are removed when the flower season is over.     

When you see the flowers, you would likely see pumpkin beetles (Aulacophora nigripennis), too. Pumpkin beetles are harmful but their tininess, agility and color contrast between orange and black never fails to bring me a smile.  

2022/6/28

2024/6/12