Four Seasons in Japan: flowers

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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

New Year 2020

Happy New Year!

May the New Year bring many good things to you.

2020 is the Year of the Rat according to the Chinese zodiac.
Each of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs is related to a characteristic animal.
The rat has been seen as a symbol of wisdom, wealth and prosperity because they multiply rapidly and have been thought to be a messenger of Daikokuten (god of wealth).

New Year's cards

formal(to elders and betters)

謹賀新年(Kinga Shinnen)
恭賀新年(Kyoga Shinnen)
謹んで新春のご祝詞を申し上げます
謹んで初春(新春)のお慶びを申し上げます
あけましておめでとうございます

"子" means a rat.

Ornamental cabbages are often planted with violas and garden cyclamens.

New Year Holiday Arrangement with an ornamental cabbage

Ready-made traditional New Year foods called Osechi Ryori are set in three-tiered boxes.

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

New Year's Holidays 2019

May the New Year bring many good things to you.

2019 is the Year of the Pig according to the Chinese zodiac. Each of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs is related to a characteristic animal. In the Japanese zodiac, the Pig is replaced by the boar because pigs were not common in Japan.

Wild boar was thought to be a messenger of the god of fire prevention. People used to put heaters in rooms to pray for fire prevention on the day of the boar. A pig-shaped burner for mosquito coil(蚊取り線香) is popular, but the burner is said to be boar-shaped to pray for fire prevention originally.

Visitors can sometimes see ornamental metal fittings with heart shaped cut outs in Japanese Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. The cut outs mean Inome(猪の目, boar's eye) and have been used to ward off evil spirits and bring happiness.

Inome-window, Shoju-in(正寿院), Okuyamada, Ujitawara-cho, Tsuzuki-gun, Kyoto Prefecture
credit: Hunini
From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository

New Year's card

"亥" means a boar.
"元旦" means New Year's Day morning.

New Year's card

The Japanese era name "Heisei(平成)" is scheduled to end on 30 April 2019 when Japan's Emperor Akihito will abdicate. He will relinquish the throne to his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito. Japanese era names used to be changed repeatedly prior to the Meiji period. It was ruled to change era names only when a new emperor acceded to the throne in 1868. The next era name is in the air. The government will release the name a month before the imperial succession.

New Year's greetings

formal(to elders and betters)
・謹賀新年(Kinga Shinnen)
・恭賀新年(Kyoga Shinnen)
・謹んで新春のご祝詞を申し上げます
・謹んで初春のお慶びを申し上げます

New Year's card

unformal
・寿(kotobuki) -- happy, auspicious
・福(Fuku) --happiness
・賀(Ga) --celebration
・賀正(Gasho) --observe New Year's holidays
・賀春(Gasyun) --observe a new year
・頌春(Shosyun)--praise a New Year
・迎春(Geisyun) --embark on a new year
・初春(Hatuharu) --a new year, beginning of year
・新春(Shinsyun) --a new year

"春" means spring. Spring means a new year because a year used to begin around the first day of spring according to the lunar calendar.

New Year's card

to anyone
・明けましておめでとうございます
・新年おめでとうございます
・新春のお慶びを申し上げます

New Year's card

Ornamental cabbages(葉牡丹, habotan) have been used as a ground cover plant of New Year's decorations since the middle of the Edo Period. Habotan means leaves like a peony. In recent years, miniature ornamental cabbages are very popular as a cut flower or a plant suited to group plantings. A bouquet made of the cabbages looks like a rose bouquet.

Ornamental cabbages are often planted with violas and garden cyclamens.

two types of ornamental cabbages and a garden cyclamen

New Year Holiday Arrangement with an ornamental cabbage

Ornamental cabbages flower in the second year

New Year Lease

Ready-made traditional New Year foods called Osechi Ryori are set in three-tiered boxes.

Friday, August 1, 2014

morning glory exhibitions

Morning glory has been a representative flower of summer in Japan. Many people were interested in gardening or growing flowers and plants in the Edo period. The plant attracted everyone from feudal lords to common people. Two morning glory booms took place in the 19th century. A lot of cultivated varieties of morning glories had been developed during the Edo Period.

The lords of the Higo Domain encouraged the cultivation of flowers including Chinese Peony, chrysanthemum, Japanese camellia, Morning Glory, Hanashobu(Iris ensata var. ensata) and Christmas Camellia as a mental training for samurai.

Several morning glory exhibitions are being held now. However, visitors can see the flowers only during morning.

About 500 large-flowered morning glories are being displayed in Mukojima- Hyakkaen Gardens(向島百花園), Sumida Ward, Tokyo from July 27 to August 3, beginning at 8 AM.

Mutant morning glories developed in the Edo Period and large-flowered ones are being displayed in Hibiya park, Tokyo from July 28 to August 3. No admission fee is required. Henka Asagao Kenkyukai(変化朝顔研究会, society for the studies of mutant Japanese morning glories) and Society for The Japanese morning glory studies in Tokyo(東京朝顔研究会) play host to the event. The mutants will also be displayed from August 29 to 31 in the park.

Henka Asagao Kenkyukai (Japanese version only):

http://www.geocities.jp/henka_asagao/index.html

The Japanese morning glory studies in Tokyo (Japanese version only):

http://tokyoasagao.com/

The 55th Morning Glory Exhibition in the Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Garden will be held from August 1 to 5.

Three hundred mutant morning glories of 56 different types were displayed at Sengan-en Garden(仙巌園) in Kagoshima Prefecture from July 12 to 27.

Nagoya Morning Glory Festival in Nagoya City was held from July 23 to 27.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

hanashobu

Although the rainy season also started in Kanto area on May 29, the weather has stayed fine. The cherry blossoms are still blooming in Nenuro, Hokkaido.

Hydrangeas and hanashobu(花菖蒲, Iris ensata var. ensata, Japanese water iris) are blooming.

viewing spots for hanashobu:
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/ashikawa/smile/HanaSyoubuguide.html (Japanese version only)

viewing spots around Tokyo:
http://flower.enjoytokyo.jp/shobu/tokyo.html (Japanese version only)

Tagajo-Ato Iris Garden
photo by Miyagi Prefectural Tourism Division

An iris festival will be held in at at the Tagajo-Ato(the ruins of Taga Castle) Iris Garden in Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture from June 24 to July 7. The garden has two million irises of 250 different kinds that include ayame(Iris sanguinea) and hanashobu.

Tagajo-Ato Iris Garden
photo by Miyagi Prefectural Tourism Division

Horikawa
photo by Shimane Prefectural Tourism Federaion

A moat surrounding Matsue Castle in Shimane Prefecture is called Horikawa. The castle and moat were built in 1611. The keep of the castle and the moat remain in their original form.

photo by Shimane Prefectural Tourism Federaion

Matsue Castle, Horikawa and Uga Bridge

photo by Shimane Prefectural Tourism Federaion

Horikawa in winter

Photo by Yokaphoto.net

Yanagawa in Fukuoka Prefecture

Yanagawa
Photo by Yokaphoto.net

the groom in black kimono decorated with a family crest, the bride in shiromuku(white kimono), their family members and relatives on the two boats

Photo by Yokaphoto.net

Kyushu Azalea (Rhododendron kiusianum) on Mount Kuju(九重山, Kuju-san) in Oita Prefecture are now at their peak.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

wisteria festivals

wisteria-viewing spots:
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/ashikawa/smile/fujiguide.html
wisteria festivals:
http://flower.enjoytokyo.jp/fuji/

Ashikaga Flower Park first comes to mind when I think of a wisteria viewing spot. Now is the best time to view purple and pale pink wisterias. About 145-year-old big wisteria is expected to peak soon.
I have posted another photos of the park's wisterias here before.

photo by syaraku

double-flowered wisteria

Japanese wisteria / Wisteria floribunda / 藤(フジ) by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) /flickr

Ashikaga Flower Park by jeeheon /flickr

RIMG2577 by honobon /flickr

Big wisteria of Kurogi in Yame-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture

It is said that an imperial prince himself planted the wisteria in 1395. The wisteria has been designated as a national natural treasure.

Photo by Yokaphoto.net

Shogun Wisteria in Fukuoka Prefecture at Onakatomi Jinja Shrine in Ogori City, Fukuoka Prefecture

According to legend, an imperial prince prayed to cure his battle injury at the shrine in 1359, and he presented a wisteria to thank the deity for his full recovery. The tree is estimated to be 650 years old.

Photo by Yokaphoto.net

Daikozen-ji Temple(大興善寺) in Miyaki-gun, Saga Prefecture

The temple is famous for its azaleas.

IMG_2128 by gtknj /flickr

Wisteria of Ushijima, at Touka-en garden, Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture

The tree is designated as a Special National Treasure. The tree is estimated to be over 1,000 years old. It's expected to peak from April 25 to May 3.
According to legend, the Buddhist priest Kobo Daishi(774-835) himself planted the wisteria on the ground of a temple. Its owners changed several times after the temple was abolished in 1874. The garden maintains the tree now. The tree is open to the public for a fee only during flowering period.

Japanese wisteria / Wisteria floribunda / 藤(フジ) by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) /flickr

Over 1200 years old Japanese wisteria / Wisteria floribunda / 樹齢(じゅれい)1200年余(ねんよ)の藤(フジ) by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) /flickr

Japanese wisteria / Wisteria floribunda / 藤(フジ) by TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) /flickr

Kameido Tenjin Shrine(亀戸天神) in Tokyo

The shrine has been well known as a wisteria viewing spot since the Edo Period. A wisteria festival is being held from April 20 to May 6.

Wisteria - Kameido, Tokyo by A.Davey /flickr

photo taken between January, 1914 and December, 1918

Kameido Tenjin by malfet_ /flickr

Wisteria by mrhayata /flickr

Kameido Tenjin Shrine by yendo0206 /flickr

IMG_6363 by y_uno /flickr

Kissho-ji Temple(吉祥寺) in Yahatanishi Ward, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture

The temple has a 150-year-old wisteria. A wisteria festival will be held from April 27 to 29.

IMG_5058-5D2 by gtknj /flickr

IMG_5078-5D2 by gtknj /flickr

IMG_5082-5D2 by gtknj /flickr

Tennogawa Park(天王川公園) in Tsushima city, Aichi Prefecture

The Owari Tsuhima Wisteria Festival(尾張津島藤まつり) will be held from April 25 to May 6. Tsushima was famous for its wisterias. The park has 114 trees of 12 different kinds.

wisteria trellis #6 by tsuda /flickr

wisteria trellis #9 by tsuda /flickr

wisteria trellis #2 by tsuda /flickr

Sumiyoshi Jinja Shrine(住吉神社) in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture

Harai no Fuji(祓除の藤, purifying wisteria)

When passing under the wisteria, people feel as if they were purified with onusa.
Onusa(nusa) is streamers (made of linen, paper, etc.) attached to a long pole and is used for purification at religious services of Shinto. It is waved left and right during purification rituals. Ancient people transferred their stains onto it by rubbing themselves with it and threw it in rivers.

photo by 神戸観光壁紙写真集

Sennen-fuji(千年藤, thousand-year-old wisteria) at Dazai Jinja Shrine(大歳神社) in Shiso City, Hyogo Prefecture

It is said that the wisteria was planted in 960.

photo by 神戸観光壁紙写真集

Flower Park in Ishioka City, Ibaraki Prefecture

フジ/紫藤/wisteria by L_Dan /flickr