Manus: Native Plants

What is bamboo and where is it found in Japan?

Bamboo (竹 [たけ]) is found in Honshu (except Aomori), Shikoku, and Kyushu. The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove/Sagano Bamboo grove near Kyoto is a famous bamboo forest. About 250 species grow in Japan, with the most common species being mosochiku, madake, and hachiku.

What is the cultural significance of bamboo in Japan?

Bamboo is evergreen and considered one of the "three friends of winter." It's used in kadomatsu, a decoration for New Year's, and in jichinsai, where deities are offered prayers. It has antibacterial properties, so it's sometimes used to wrap onigiri and dango. Tea whisks are made from bamboo. It's also rich in fiber, used in pasta and bread.

What are the practical uses of bamboo in Japan?

Bamboo has many practical uses due to being lightweight, easy to cut, very flexible, and durable. It can be used to make bows and arrows, baskets, brooms, and umbrellas.

What is the Japanese black pine and where is it found?

The Japanese black pine (松 [まつ] / pine thunbergii) is found in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

What is the cultural significance of pine in Japan?

Pine is evergreen and considered one of the "three friends of winter." It represents longevity, good fortune, steadfastness, endurance, and eternity. It's used in kadomatsu, a decoration for New Year's. People hang bad omikuji (fortune slips) on these trees during New Year's to negate their effects. In Noh theater, pine trees are used to depict the bond between god and man. They're typically used in the background of Japanese paintings.

What is the plum blossom and where is it found in Japan?

Plum blossom (梅 [うめ]) is found in Honshu and Kyushu. Notable locations include Hiraoka Park and Inabe Plum Grove.

What is the cultural significance of plum blossoms in Japan?

Plum blossom is one of the "three friends of winter." It symbolizes vitality, hope, renewal, resilience, and perseverance. Its five petals are thought to carry five different blessings: wealth, health, virtue, and peaceful and natural death. Plum blossoms are used as a design for New Year's greeting cards and other celebratory occasions. They're also the symbol of Umenomiya Taisha, a Shinto shrine in Ukyo in Kyoto.

What is the camellia and where is it found in Japan?

Camellia (椿 [つばき]) grows in Honshu, islands in the south, and Okinawa. The main varieties are Japanese camellia and snow camellia. They grow on evergreen trees, so they're available year-round.

What is the cultural significance of camellia in Japan?

Camellia signifies appreciation and admiration. It represents the spirit of inner depth, self-reflection, and inner strength. It's highly esteemed in Japanese culture and is the flower of the month in December. Camellia is used in teas, as an ornamental plant, as an anti-inflammatory agent for skin, and as a conditioner for hair.

What is the peach blossom and its cultural significance in Japan?

Peach blossom (桃花 [とうか]) is attributed to Hinamatsuri, Girl's Day, also called Momo no Sekku, the Peach Blossom Festival. Kuchibana (artificial plum blossom branch), bonbori (lampstands), and hibukuro are sometimes decorated with plum or cherry blossoms. Peach blossoms bloom in winter, specifically February. They're famous in Yamanashi (known as Peach City), Nagano, and can also be found in Fukushima prefecture.

What is the dandelion and where is it found in Japan?

Dandelion (蒲公 [たんぽぽ]/Taraxacum albidum) is native to Southern Japan but can be found throughout the country.

What is the cultural significance and uses of dandelion in Japan?

Dandelion represents courage in Japan. While some consider it a weed, others use it in cooking (all parts are edible). It's used to make drinks (usually tea) to reduce stress on the liver, help hair growth, and boost the immune system due to its high Vitamin C content. It's also used in tempura.

What is the chrysanthemum and its origin in Japan?

The chrysanthemum (菊 [きく]) is not actually native to Japan but was brought from China during the Heian period as medicine. It's native to East Asia and Northeastern Europe.

What is the cultural significance of chrysanthemum in Japan?

The chrysanthemum is Japan's national flower. It symbolizes longevity, rejuvenation, and nobility, and also represents fall. The imperial throne is called the chrysanthemum throne, and the flower appears on the imperial seal of Japan. The royal chrysanthemum is yellow and multilayered, with 16 petals to the front and 16 petals to the back. Different colors have different meanings: red for loved and respected people, white for funerals and graves. Chrysanthemums are used in decorations, accessories, porcelains, kimonos/obis, and appear on the 50 yen coin. They're often used in bonsai art.

What is the Satsuma mandarin and where is it found?

The Satsuma mandarin (温州みかん [うんしゅうみかん]) is native to Satsuma Province (present-day western half of Kagoshima in Kyushu).

What is the cultural significance of Satsuma mandarin in Japan?

Satsuma mandarins symbolize good fortune and wealth in Japan. They're given as holiday gifts, which has contributed to their association with good fortune and wealth.

What is wisteria and where is it found in Japan?

Wisteria (藤 [ふじ]) is found in the Kanto region of Japan. Ashikaga Flower Park has approximately 2,000 square meters of wisteria.

What is the cultural significance of wisteria in Japan?

Wisteria symbolizes love and longevity in Japan. In Shin-Buddhism, it's a symbol of humility and reflection. It's sometimes associated with immortality because it sounds similar to "fushi" (eternal life). Fuji Musume (Wisteria Maiden) is a famous Kabuki dance centered around wisteria as a symbol of love. Wisteria was used on the Fujiwara family crest and appears on the back of the new 5000 Yen note.

What is the cherry blossom and where is it found in Japan?

Cherry blossom (桜 [さくら]) is found in Honshu (except northern Tohoku), Shikoku, and Kyushu, primarily in mountainous areas. It blooms from late March to early April.

What is the cultural significance of cherry blossoms in Japan?

Cherry blossoms have been the national flower of Japan since the Nara period (710-794). They represent life and death (due to their short lifespan of about 2 weeks), beauty, and renewal. Fallen cherry blossoms/petals symbolize the end of short lives, reminding people to savor life before it ends. They symbolized hope and comfort during WWII and were used to unify the nation (in political speech metaphors and drawings of kamikaze). Hanami ("watching flowers") is the tradition of enjoying food (bentos) and alcohol (sake) under sakura trees. Nighttime viewing is called yozakura. Cherry blossoms also appear in haiku, such as Basho's Temple Bell haiku.

What is the red spider lily and where is it found in Japan?

The red spider lily (彼岸花[ひがんばな]/Lycoris radiata) is found in Honshu (though it actually came from China around 700 CE). It grows in shady, moist areas along slopes and rocky areas near stream banks.

What is the cultural significance of red spider lily in Japan?

Red spider lilies are used to pay tribute to the dead and are planted around grave sites as a ceremonial practice. The red flowers are thought to guide the dead towards reincarnation. They also symbolize the arrival of fall. In literature, they're used to foreshadow deaths. Practically, they deter mice and other animals from invading rice paddies because they're poisonous.

What is the persimmon and where is it found in Japan?

Persimmon (kaki) is the national fruit of Japan and is found in Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture produces one-fifth of all persimmons produced in Japan.

What is the cultural significance of persimmon in Japan?

Persimmon is considered the divine fruit of autumn in Japan. It represents good luck, longevity, and healing. Dried persimmons are hung as decorations for fall. Persimmon is also a fall kigo (seasonal word in haiku).

What is the Japanese apricot and its significance?

The Japanese apricot is the prefectural fruit of Osaka.

What is the ginkgo tree and where is it found in Japan?

The ginkgo tree (銀杏 [いちょう]) is found in Honshu and Hokkaido. It's the prefectural tree of Osaka and appears on the prefecture's flag.

What is the cultural significance of the ginkgo tree in Japan?

The ginkgo tree is considered sacred in Japan and is often found on temple and shrine grounds. It symbolizes love, peace, hope, vitality, and duality. Six ginkgo trees survived after the Hiroshima atomic bombing, leading to the tree being regarded as the "bearer of hope," "the survivor," and "the living fossil." The shamisen tool is shaped like a ginkgo leaf.

What is the lotus and its cultural significance in Japan?

The lotus (ハス, hasu) is a symbol of purity in enlightenment because it grows in muddy water but remains unstained. It represents the ability to rise above adversity and achieve spiritual enlightenment. For Buddhists, it also represents reincarnation.

What is the dogwood and its significance in Japan?

While some dogwood species are native to Japan, the non-native (American) species are more culturally significant. Dogwood (はなみずき, hanamizuki) symbolizes new beginnings, hope, and friendship. In 2012, the US gifted Japan 3,000 dogwoods after Japan had gifted 3,000 cherry trees 100 years earlier. This exchange was called the Friendship Blossoms-Dogwood Tree Initiative.

What is the fringed pink and its cultural significance?

The fringed pink (撫子, なでしこ, nadeshiko) is native to east Japan. It represents traditionalized, idealized feminine beauty.

What is the Japanese cedar tree and its significance?

The Japanese cedar tree or Cryptomeria (すぎ, sugi) is the national tree of Japan. It symbolizes endurance and sacredness. In the Jomon period, it was used in buildings because it doesn't rot. Yakushima, an island south of Kyushu, has many species of cedar and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What is the pansy and its significance in Japan?

The pansy (パンジー, panjī) is the prefectural flower of Osaka. It's not actually native to Japan, but breeding often happens there. It symbolizes love and adoration of one person for another.

What is the cosmos and its cultural significance in Japan?

Cosmos (コスモス, kosumosu) was introduced to Japan during the Edo period. It's associated with fall and symbolizes love, cleanliness, and purity. It's also associated with a "maiden Japanese heart."

What is rapeseed and its cultural significance in Japan?

Rapeseed (ナノハ, nanoha) is associated with spring in Japan and is sometimes used in Girl's Day celebrations. Its yellow color is said to "brighten" people.

What is the morning glory and its cultural significance in Japan?

Morning glory (あさがお, asagao) symbolizes fleeting beauty and transient life due to its short blooming time. It blooms in the morning but fades by midday. It's associated with summer.

What is the Japanese iris and its cultural significance?

The Japanese iris (しょうぶ, shobu) symbolizes purity and innocence, but is also associated with the warrior's spirit. It's also considered a symbol of good luck and is seen during Children's Day celebrations.