East Asian Arrowroot (Kudzu Vine, Pueraria Montana Var. Lobata) 葛（クズ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I know that many hate the plant. It's invasive and harmful as @woodkeeper says, but I cannot dislike it because the starch powder made from the plant, i.e., kudzu powder, can become various Japanese sweets!! 

This is a flower of the East Asian arrowroot or kudzu vine (Pueraria montana var. lobata) and because of the invasiveness, the kudzu in my neighborhood has been removed😂 as you can see in the 2nd photo and that's why I was able to photograph only a single kudzu flower.  

East Asian arrowroot　葛

Pueraria Montana Kudzu (Japanese Arrowroot) 葛（クズ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are flowers of Pueraria montana kudzu or more commonly known as kudzu or Japanese arrowroot. The plant would remind most Japanese people of a delicious Japanese sweet, kudzu kiri or jelly-like noodle made from kudzu starch. Naturally, kudzu is very popular in Japan. So, I was surprised that many other countries have designated kudzu as an invasive plant.  

Pueraria montana kudzu 葛

Japanese arrowroot クズ

Kudzu (Japanese Arrowroot) 葛（クズ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The plant had many large vibrant green leaves, which made me wonder what it was. Then, it suddenly produced pink flowers, which surprised me, but what surprised me more was that it was kudzu or more commonly known as Japanese arrowroot.

I was surprised😲 because I didn't expect kudzu to be growing in my neighborhood in Tokyo. Kudzu is an ingredient of kudzu powder, the main ingredient of "kudzu mochi dumplings," a jelly-like local sweet in Yoshino, a southern part of the Nara prefecture! Kudzu mochi are so yummy and my favorite sweet😋

There is, however, a sad surprise, too. Kudzu is called "the vine that ate the South," designated as an invasive species in the US😂

By the way, in Japan, "kudzu" or "葛" in Chinese character* is pronounced the same as the following terms:

• くず (hiragana character), meaning waste, trash and bastard
• クズ (katakana character), meaning waste, trash and bastard
• 屑 (Chinese character*), meaning waste, trash and bastard

As a great fan of "kudzu mochi" dumplings, I feel sad that "kudzu" can mean "waste and trash, bastard"!😂

* The Japanese language uses three characters: hiragana character, katakana character and Chinese character.

Kudzu 葛