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

Ipomoea Coccinea (Red Morning Glory)　丸葉縷紅草

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

This is ipomoea coccinea or red morning glory. So tiny, so orange, and so pretty isn't it?

Ipomoea coccinea 丸葉縷紅草

Red morning glory マルバルコウソウ

So tiny!! ちっちゃい！

Red morning glory is a star-like flower with five petals, small but elegant. It's called "round leaf cypress vine" in Japanese because it's in the cypress vine family and has round leaves.

The language of the flower is "I'm busy," which reminded me of my nephew, who told me, "I'm busy," when I asked him something while he was eating curry rice or something. He was just two or three years old, so adorable and yes, I was wrong talking to him while eating......😆

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ちっちゃいのにこの存在感｡｡｡可愛くないですか！ヘ〇ソカズラみたいに、可愛いけど差別されているのでは｡｡｡と心配もしたのですが大丈夫でした。「丸葉縷紅草」という立派な名前がついてました。

花言葉は「私は忙しい」。ムムム？これってカレーライスを食べているときに話しかけて２歳の甥に言い返されたことです。２歳の子に「僕忙しいから」と言われるなんて普通ないですよね😆 今でも思い出すたびにクスッとなります。

(Google アカウントを持ってない方は、コメント記入後に「Google アカウント」をクリックし、「匿名」か「名前/URL」を選択してからご記入ください！)

Bougainvillea　ブーゲンビリア

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

This is bougainvillea. I have heard of the flower many times, but I first saw it last week. The color pink is so bright, catching my eye!!

Bougainvillea ブーゲンビリア

Pink "bracts" ピンクの「苞」

Cream yellow "petals"! 薄黄が花弁！

I like flowers whose not petals but bracts are showy, like bougainvillea and flowering dogwood.

Bougainvillea was named after Louis Antoine de Bougainvillea, and it's called in Japanese also "bu-gainbiliya," Japanese pronunciation of bougainvillea, but it has other Japanese names. One is "ikada kazura," meaning a "raft vine" after the shape of the pink bract looking like a raft and the cream yellow petal a boatman. Another is "kokonoe kazura" or "multi-layered vine."

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ブーゲンビリアです！聞いたことはありましたが見たのは初めて。色がホントに綺麗です！で気づいたことが一つ。私、花弁より苞が好きなようです。ハナミズキも苞が綺麗です。

ちなみに和名は筏葛（イカダカズラ）、九重葛（ココノエカズラ）。筏葛は苞を筏に、花弁を船頭に見立てています。

Netsuke - Boss　根付 - ボス

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

Are you a boss or do you have a boss? No matter what kind of boss you are or have, don't be or have a boss like this🤣!

This is "Boss," a netsuke sculpture carved from ebony by Kozan Fukuyama, a Japanese netsuke carver.

"Boss" by Kozan Fukuyama
「ボス」福山恒山

A few months ago, Takayuki Miyazawa, a Japanese virus expert, said, "Don't pick your nose (to prevent you from being infected by coronavirus)!" Now, nose picking is a life or death issue...

You can see this netsuke at Tokyo National Museum. If you want to see other netsuke, read the following posts!

- Symbol of Peace? - Netsuke & Halloween
- Japanese Saying: Netsuke Titled "A-Hum"!
- Netsuke - Japanese Lovelorn Ghost Puts a Curse Saying "Urameshiya..."
- Kawaii Two-Legged Yokai Goblin Netsuke Sculpture

- Kawaii Netsuke Jedi

- Watermelon Netsuke Carving With Makie Lacquer Painting
- Netsuke - Jurojin God
- Netsuke - Dog Days

- Netsuke - Muskmelon

- Netsuke and Jello - Goldfish

- Netsuke/Ojime - Wild Boar, Baby Boars

- Gourds in Various Forms - Netsuke, Pickle.....

- Netsuke - Sheep

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あなたはどんなボスですか？どんなボスをお持ちですか？どんなボスでもいいのですがこういうのだけは勘弁してください！東京国立博物館の福山恒山作「ボス」です。

少し前に宮沢孝幸先生がコロナ感染を防ぐために「鼻をほじるな」とツイートしておられました。今や鼻ホジホジは生死の問題。皆さん間違っても鼻をほじるのはやめましょう！

ちなみに「鼻をほじるな」は英語では「Don't pick your nose」。是非覚えて使ってみましょう😁

根付がお好きな方は是非以下の記事もご覧ください！

Sponge Gourd　ヘチマ

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

This is a sponge gourd flower. The contrast between yellow and deep green is so beautiful!

The leaf is so green and large! 葉っぱ大きい！

Season of sponge gourd flowers へちまの花の季節

The color deep green is relaxing 深い緑に落ち着きました

As I wrote in "Gourds in Various Forms - Netsuke, Pickle....," Japan has various gourds and they are called different names without including the term "うり (uri) or gourd," which makes it difficult to see that they are all in the gourd family. The sponge gourd is not the exception, called "hechima" and has an interesting history on how it started to be called as such.

A sponge gourd was originally called (according to Wikipedia) "いとうり or "ito uri," meaning "thread gourd" and then changed as follows:

いとうり　"ito uri"
→とうり　"to uri"
→へちま　"hechima"

First, "i" of "ito uri" disappeared, resulting in only "to" remaining with "uri," which means gourd.

The letter "to" is between "he (へ)" and "chi (ち)" in the old Japanese alphabet, i.e., いろは, as below.

い　ろ　は　に　ほ　へ　と　ち　り　ぬ　る　を........

i ro ha ni ho he to chi ri nu ru wo.......

And between is in Japanese "ma" or "ま." So, all in all:

"To" gourd is between "he" and "chi."

とうり =　ま(ma) へち　　→　へちま（hechima）Got it?😉

Sponge gourds have male and female flowers, but I haven't been able to find female flowers yet.....

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近所のへちまです。黄色と緑のコントラストが鮮やかです！

「ひさごの根付、奈良漬け、炒め物」でも書きましたが、英語で「xxxx gourd」で済むものが、日本語だと、ひさご、瓢箪、ゴーヤ、苦瓜、へちま等、いろいろあるから大変、かつ、ウリ科であることが分かりにくい！でもおいしいから許します🥰

へちまの名は、いとうりが後に縮まって「とうり（と瓜）」と転訛し、「と」はいろは歌で「へ」と「ち」の間にあることから「へち間」の意で「へちま」と呼ばれるようになったそうです。（出典：Wikipedia）

ちなみに雄の花しかありませんでした。最近一生懸命雌の花を探しております｡｡｡

Netsuke - Sheep　根付「ひつじ」と不可算名詞

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

This is "Sheep," a netsuke sculpture carved from amber with makie painting by Kinuyo Hariya, a Japanese netsuke carver and makie painter.

"Sheep" by Kinuyo Hariya　ひつじ - 針谷絹代

Carved from amber with makie painting of sheep
琥珀＆蒔絵　黒い羊の意味は｡｡｡？

It has a black sheep on it, so I searched for information about what the carver meant by it, but couldn't find anything and instead it reminded me of something.... Why can't we say two "sheeps" in English? It doesn't make sense (to me) that sheep are uncountable.

Japanese has (too) many counter words and uses different ones depending on what's counted. For example, when you talk about the number of animals other than large ones, such as sheep, you use "hiki" while for large animals, such as cattle or horses, you use "tou." However, Japanese has no concept of countable or uncountable words, so although it's hard to memorize which counter word is used for which, you don't need to remember which word is uncountable.

By the way, Japanese has no masculine or feminine words, either and can omit the subject when it is obvious. (To learn about the tragedy happening when the subject is not said, read "Japanese Translation of "A Pale View of Hills.")

Getting back to the original subject, the translucency of this netsuke makes us feel cool and refreshing. You can see this netsuke and these sheep (not sheeps😜) at Tokyo National Museum.

If you are interested in netsuke, read the following posts, too!

- Kawaii Netsuke Jedi

- Watermelon Netsuke Carving With Makie Lacquer Painting
- Netsuke - Jurojin God
- Netsuke - Dog Days

- Netsuke - Muskmelon

- Netsuke and Jello - Goldfish

- Netsuke/Ojime - Wild Boar, Baby Boars

- Gourds in Various Forms - Netsuke, Pickle.....

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針谷絹代作の根付「ひつじ」です。琥珀に蒔絵が施されています。きれいかつ可愛いです。

英語で「black sheep（黒い羊）」はグループ内、特に家族内の変わり者、厄介者を意味します。欅坂４６の歌でご存じの方も多いのではないでしょうか。

ところで羊と言えば、英語で面倒な不可算名詞。羊は不可算なので以下のようになります。

The sheep is herded by the sheepdog.　その羊はそのシープドッグが誘導している。

The sheep are herded by the sheepdog.　その羊の群れはそのシープドッグが誘導している。

出典：BBC Learning English

「sheep」は単複両方で使われ、動詞（is / are）だけ変わります。集合名詞（例：staff, police）も間違いやすいですね。「staff」、「police」等は（ほぼ）常に複数扱いです。

Many staff were surprised by the appointment.　多くの職員がその任命に驚いた。

Police in this area are currently investigating 74 allegations.　この地域の警察は現在７４の訴えについて捜査している。

出典：BBC Learning English

「ひつじ」は東京国立博物館で見ることができます。根付がお好きな方は以下の記事もどうぞ！

Celadon Lid Rest for Tea Ceremony　青磁三閑人蓋置

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

This is 3cm tall celadon I saw at Tokyo National Museum. Do you know what this is?

What does it look like to you? 何に見える？

Three kids are holding their hands!
３人の子が手つなぎ！

This is a 3cm tall kettle lid rest in the shape of three figures made in the 17th century under the Ming dynasty. It's not only kawaii but also beautiful for its celadon color!!

Kettle lid rests of this type, three children holding their hands, are the favorite of the tea master Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591).

If you like celadon pottery, read "Celadon in 16 Forms," too!

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これ、何か分かりますか？分からなくても十分カワイイですが一応言っておきますと「青磁三閑人蓋置」、つまり窯の蓋を載せておく茶道具だそうです。東京国立博物館で出会いました。３人の子供が手をつなぐ形式のものは千利休が好んだものの一つということです。

青磁にご興味ある方は「いろんな青磁」もお読みください！

Anise-Scented Sage　ガラニチカ

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

This is anise-scented sage I saw early August while walking in my neighborhood. The violet color was so beautiful, standing out from its surroundings.

Anise-scented sage ガラニチカ

Hummingbird sage メドウセージは間違い

The rainy season was very long in Japan this year, two weeks longer than usual, and it was cool, too cool for July, but the subsequent heat wave starting early August is extreme, so hot, so humid that I have given up doing morning walk for the last week.....😭

Anise-scented sage is called meadow sage in Japan because of an importer's mistake.

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ガラニチカです。言葉では表現できないほどの色の美しさです。

今年は梅雨が長く、しかもそれを補って余りある（？）暑さ。おかげでここ１週間ほどウォーキングできていません😭

ちなみにこの花、メドウセージとも呼ばれていますがそれは間違い。輸入され始めたころに業者が間違って付けてしまったそうです。

Netsuke/Ojime - Wild Boar, Baby Boars　根付/緒締め - 猪, うりぼう

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

This is an "ojime" titled "Wild boar, baby boars," carved from stag antler, boxwood and buffalo horn by Nick Lamb, an English netsuke/ojime carver.

"Wild boar, baby boars" by Nick Lamb
「猪, うりぼう」ニック・ラム作

Gourds in Various Forms - Netsuke, Pickle.....　ひさごの根付、奈良漬け、炒め物

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

This is a netsuke sculpture titled "Gourd," carved from boxwood by Kuya Nakamura. It's on show at Tokyo National Museum.

"Gourd," boxwood by Kuya Nakamura, 3cm
「ひさご」黄楊中村空哉作

The netsuke below is "Gourd," too, carved from ivory by Ichiro Inada, also at the museum.

"Gourd," ivory by Ichiro Inada, 3cm
「ひさご」象牙稲田一郎作

And the dark brown tiny things on a white plate in the photo below are sliced gourd narazuke pickle I bought at Imanishi Honten, a narazuke pickle store in the Nara prefecture. They are all 3cm long but still keep the shape of gourds!

3cm long narazuke pickles of gourds
瓢箪の奈良漬

Last but not least is two fruits of bitter "gourd"!

Bitter melons or gourds ゴーヤ又は苦瓜

Bitter gourds ended up like this...
ゴーヤの成れの果て｡｡｡

See? Japan fully utilizes gourds for art, pickles and home made dishes. But not only that. Gourds have several Japanese names, i.e., the first two netsuke gourds are "hisago," the second pickled gourd "hyotan" and the third one "go-ya" or "nigauri." But no matter what they are called, I love gourds!! (Gourds also play an important role in "Seibee and Gourd" by Naoya Shiga, my favorite Japanese novelist.)

If you wanna know more about tiny pickled or narazuke gourds, which go well with saki🥢🍶, read "Nara Cuisine - Narazuke Pickled Gourds"!

If you love netsuke like me, read the following posts, too!

- Kawaii Netsuke Jedi

- Watermelon Netsuke Carving With Makie Lacquer Painting
- Netsuke - Jurojin God
- Netsuke - Dog Days

- Netsuke - Muskmelon

- Netsuke and Jello - Goldfish

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３センチほどの根付は二つとも「ひさご」。一枚目は黄楊製で中村空哉作。二枚目は象牙で稲田一郎作です。

白いお皿に乗っているのは奈良の今西本店の「瓢箪の奈良漬🥢🍶」。

そして最後はゴーヤとゴーヤチャンプルーです。

ひさご、瓢箪、ゴーヤ、苦瓜、名前多すぎ～！でも根付でも、奈良漬けでも、チャンプルーでも全部大好きです。（ちなみに志賀直哉の「清兵衛と瓢箪」も大好きです！）

根付がお好きな方は以下の記事もどうぞ！

Tricyrtis Formosana 'Samurai' (Toad Lily)　ホトトギス

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

This is tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai' I had seen before the heat wave in Japan started early August...

Tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai'　ホトトギス

Toad lily　杜鵑草

Toad lily is hairy! 毛深いね😆

It's also called toad lily because it has spots looking like a toad's skin, and it prefers shady, moist places like toads. But this perception is not true of Japan. The toad lily is named "lesser cuckoo" in Japanese after the spots, which look like the chest plumage of this small bird.

Lesser cuckoo is "ほととぎす/ホトトギス" in Japanese hiragana/katakana form, but not only that. It has (too!) many names in Chinese characters as follows. (Japanese uses three characters; hiragana, katakana and Chinese characters.):
- 杜鵑
- 杜宇
- 蜀魂
- 不如帰
- 時鳥
- 子規
- 田鵑

All of these mean "ほととぎす/ホトトギス (i.e., lesser cuckoo)" or tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai.' The flower is also called "oil stain flower" because of the spots. Wow, this small flower has stirred our imagination in many ways, i.e., toad, lesser cuckoo, oil stain....

Tricyrtis formosana 'Samurai' or Japanese toad lily is not so conspicuous, but the color and spots combined with its three petals and three sepals makes the flower so pretty! What do you see in this flower, a toad, a lesser cuckoo or oil stains?

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ホトトギスです。斑点が鳥の胸の斑点と似ているからだそうです。杜鵑、杜宇、蜀魂、不如帰、時鳥、子規、田鵑とも書きます。油の模様染みにも見えるから油点草（ユテンソウ）とも言います。

英語では「toad lily」、カエルユリ。カエルの模様に似ているからだそうです。

つまり、ホトトギス、油、カエルと、少なくとも３通りの創造を掻き立てたわけです。それほど目立つ花ではないのですが、色と模様、そして３枚の花弁と３枚のガク。全体で見ると何ともかわいく思えてしまうのは私だけでしょうか｡｡｡

Netsuke and Jello - Goldfish　金魚の根付と和菓子

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

This is a 4cm tall netsuke sculpture titled "Goldfish," made from amber with makie painting by Masayuki Hariya, a Japanese netsuke carver and makie painter, at Tokyo National Museum.

"Goldfish," amber and makie by Masayuki Hariya
「金魚」琥珀・蒔絵、針谷祐之

The netsuke below of a similar size is titled "Goldfish," too, carved from ivory by Godo Abe. It's also on show at Tokyo National Museum.

"Goldfish," ivory by Godo Abe
「金魚」象牙、阿部悟堂

And look at the two goldfish below made of yokan, thick agar-made Japanese jellos, swimming in a muscat grape jello!

Goldfish jello in grape jello! - Minamoto Kitchoan
源吉兆庵金魚

Goldfish reminds me of Yamato koriyama city, which is known for the cultivation of goldfish, in Nara prefecture, a place which I want to move to after retirement and had visited twice a year for almost ten years until the outbreak of Covid-19, but I haven't and don't think I can this year!

Japan has "goldfish plant." If you want to know what "goldfish flower" is like, read this post, too!

For more about netsuke, read the following posts, too!
- Symbol of Peace? - Netsuke & Halloween
- Japanese Saying: Netsuke Titled "A-Hum"!
- Netsuke - Japanese Lovelorn Ghost Puts a Curse Saying "Urameshiya..."
- Kawaii Two-Legged Yokai Goblin Netsuke Sculpture

- Kawaii Netsuke Jedi

- Watermelon Netsuke Carving With Makie Lacquer Painting
- Netsuke - Jurojin God
- Netsuke - Dog Days

- Netsuke - Muskmelon

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１枚目　根付　「金魚」針谷祐之氏作　琥珀と蒔絵

２枚目　根付　「金魚」阿部悟堂氏作　象牙

３枚目　和菓子「金魚」源吉兆庵作　　赤い羊羹の金魚がマスカットゼリーの中を泳いでます。

１枚目と３枚目、根付と和菓子で全くの別物ですが何か似てません？どちらもとっても涼しげ！でも「金魚」→「大和郡山（金魚の養殖で知られた町）」→「奈良」と連想が続きがっくり😭。ここ１０年、年２回は訪れ、ゆくゆくは移住したいのに、今年はコロナでまだ行けていません。

ちなみに「キンギョ」ソウについても以前書いています。キンギョソウの英語名と花言葉にご興味ある方は「キンギョソウはおしゃべり！」もどうぞお読みください。

根付がお好きな方は以下の記事もどうぞ！

- 平和の象徴？「根付とハロウィン」