Quiz – Who’s Been Here

Hi, blog.

A quiz for my fellow fans of Japanese critters – animal tracks.

 

But first, a joke:

Three blondes were walking along a trail when they encountered a set of tracks.

“I know what these are!”, exclaimed the first blonde.  “They’re fox tracks.”

“No, they’re not.”, replied the second blonde.  “They’re rabbit tracks.”

Before the third blonde could say anything, they all got hit by a train.

 

Here are ten animal footprints.  Look at them carefully and see if you can guess what animal made them.

The animals are:

• hare
• black bear
• dog
• raccoon dog
• deer
• cat
• fox
• wild pig
• badger
• squirrel

Good luck!

No. 1. Hint: Count the number of toes and note the shape of the claws

No. 2. What kind of foot is this?

No. 3.  Note that the print is somewhat more delicate than No. 2.

No. 4.  This should be easy…

No. 5.  Note the long toes – useful for…

No. 6. Hint: familiar

No. 7. Sometimes confused with No. 6, but there is a VERY important difference.

No. 8. Again, count the toes (I’ve mentioned this animal a couple of times on this blog)

No. 9. Regular followers of this blog should be able to guess!

No. 10. Hint: a distant relative of No. 6 and No. 9.

Post a comment with your answers!

Tags: footprints, spoor, tracks

Quick plant profile – horsetail

The field horsetail or common horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is another sign of spring.  The plant is known as sugina (杉菜) in Japanese, literally “cryptomeria vegetable”, possibly from the appearance of the green stems.

 

The horsetail grows in damp areas and once it becomes established it is very hard to remove.  It is thought to be toxic to horses – ironic, considering the common and scientific names.

 

It would probably be overlooked as just another weed if it weren’t for the spore-producing stems that appear in early spring.

Horsetails reproduce by spores rather than seeds.  The spore-producing stems and the sterile stems for photosynthesis are separate – it is quite difficult to believe they are the same plant.

 

The fertile stems appear first in early spring.  They are most commonly known as tsukushi (土筆), although tsukushinbo, and hoshiko are also used in certain regions.  The ideograms literally mean “soil brush”, based on their shape.

 

Tsukushi are often viewed with nostalgia, a certain fondness as a herald of spring, and as a wild vegetable.  The spore-bearing stems can be eaten, but need to be boiled to remove some of the alkalines.

As with many wild vegetables, it is advised against eating too much – some of the alkaloids can be carcinogenic in large quantities.

 

The spore-bearing stems can be seen here along with some newly-shooting sterile stems. Taken on May 5th, 2012 in the Aizu area.

 

I had managed to clock up over one and a half decades of “Japan time” before seeing these plants in the wild – just a few days ago, in fact.

I had seen images on TV, which misled me into thinking the spore-bearing stems would be quite large – certainly they large in the minds of the artists.  I was quite surprised to see how small they actually were – and more surprised when I realised that I pass a patch of them every day on the way home from work!

Tags: equisetum arvense, field horsetail, horsetail, horsetail equisetum, sansai, wild vegetables

Most popular chicks in town, and the bad news bears

It has been a busy month, so I apologise for my lack of action on the blogging front.

Actually, the Japanese have invented a word, gogatsubyo (五月病), which literally means “May sickness”.  Because the academic and fiscal years begin in April, many students and new employees find themselves tired and stressed out in May.

 

In the last couple of weeks two wildlife-related incidents have made the national news, so I’ll share these briefly.

 

 

The first is a bit of good news for avian aficionados.

Observers have confirmed the hatching of three crested ibis chicks in the wild, the first time in 36 years of a successful hatching outside of captivity.

 

The crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), known locally as the toki (朱鷺, 鴇, 鵇 or 鴾), is at risk of extinction.

The bird was originally widespread over Japan from southern Hokkaido, and its range extended into far eastern Russia, the Koreas, far eastern China and Taiwan.  Unfortunately, from the late 19^th century their range and population decreased for the usual reasons – hunting and habitat loss.

The last of the Japanese birds died in captivity in 2003, and all the crested ibises in Japan now are descendants of Chinese birds brought over for breeding programs.

 

How our children might be able to see crested ibises... "Kin", the last native Japanese crested ibis died in 2003 and is mounted on display. Photo taken from Wikipedia.

Attempts to get the birds to breed in the wild have been abortive up till now, and even captive breeding programs have suffered setbacks – a notable example was in 2009 when some Japanese martens entered the cage in a breeding facility and killed nine birds.

 

Government officials are keeping a close watch on the fledgling crested ibises via remote camera – there is still a real risk of predation by crows and kites, not to mention the problems caused by nosey humans.

 

Good luck to the crested ibises.

 

How I would like to see crested ibises. Thanks to Wikipedia.

 

On the ursine front, the news was not so good.

Six bears were killed after they escaped their enclosure and mauled two elderly keepers to death.

The bears were Hokkaido brown bears – also known as Ezo brown bear or Ussuri brown bear, (Ursus arctos yesoensis or Ursus arctos lasiotus).  In Japanese they are known as Ezo higuma (蝦夷羆) or often just higuma to distinguish them from the other species of bear found in Japan, the Asian black bear or Moon bear (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) – tsukinowaguma (月輪熊).

Brown bears at the Hachimantai bear farm. Photo orginally published by the Akita Prefecture Tourism Federation.

Whereas black bears are found over Honshu and Shikoku (and possibly Kyushu, where they are not considered indigenous), the brown bear is found only in Hokkaido (although it was found on some of the surrounding islands during the middle ages, and fossil records suggest a former range as far as Kyushu.)

The bears were just a few of 38 kept on a bear farm in Kazuno, Akita Prefecture.  Their escape was due to the usual reasons – human stupidity and underestimating the animals’ intelligence.

In this case, the manager assumed that the 4.5 metre-high concrete wall would be enough to confine the bears in an exercise yard, but ignored the three metre snow drift that had built up in one corner.  The bears clearly didn’t.

 

"How do you think it got out?" Police investigators and the snow drift the bears used in their escape. Photo taken from the Daily Yomiuri, April 22, 2012.

The stock footage in the papers and TV suggest overcrowding of the bears, and other reports suggest neglect and mismanagement.

 

My own impression of the facility is some kind of POW camp.

Another picture of the Hachimantai bear farm published by the Akita Prefecture Tourism Federation. I don't know about you, but to me the facility seems rather cramped and .... bare.

Tags: bears, crested ibis, news, toki

‘Tis the Season to be Sneezy

Spring continues to advance – days with double-digit maximums are the norm (although northerly winds and single-digit days persist), small vegetable patches that looked decayed and lifeless just a few weeks ago have been hoed and are now full of promise [cue “Circle of Life”], various magnolias are in bloom (unfortunately, getting photos means sticking my camera into other people’s yards), and the weather reports include daily updates on the status of cherry blossoms.

 

My persimmon tree is in bud.

 

Daffodils, known locally as suisen (水仙). Not many people realise that they are not native to East Asia.

 

A type of lily known as katakuri (片栗). It is a source of an expensive starch.

 

A magnolia. Yes, I did have to stick my mobile phone over a fence to get this one!

 

 

One of my favorites, along with "pillage" and "plunder"! In additon to having a pretty flower, the canola is an edible vegatable.

 

A Japanese quince or boke (木瓜) in flower.

 

Raise the Pink Lantern! These lanterns adorn the Azuma river during cherry blossom season.

 

The river banks are lit up at night for nocturnal enjoyment of cherry blossoms.

 

A sudden low-pressure cell passed over Japan on the 3^rd of this month, bringing typhoon-strength winds (over 25 m/second in the centre of Tokyo) and rain, and causing at least four deaths.

 

Another sign of spring, although this starts in late winter, is the onset of hay-fever in millions of people.  (In my darker, more cynical moments, it is the Japanese allergy to nature)

 

Hay fever is known is Japan as kafunsho (花粉症), which literally means “pollen syndrome”.  Many Japanese people are genuinely surprised to hear that hay fever exists in other countries.  I am not a hay fever sufferer, and many assume that it is a uniquely Japanese problem.

 

The leading cause of hay fever is the cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica) or sugi (杉), often – incorrectly – called the Japanese cedar.

 

Cryptomeria at work. The orange-brown areas are the pollen building up.

 

This tree was the preferred timber for construction of housing, and thousands of hectares were planted, at the expense of biodiversity, during the housing shortages after World War II.  As the economy picked up and then fell, the trees became less economical to harvest compared to imported timber, and the monoculture plantation forests have been left largely unmanaged.

 

As trees age past 20 years, they can produce large amounts of pollen, which increase as the tree ages.

Added to this is the lack of grass in populated areas.  Grass helps catch pollen once it makes contact with the ground.  Concrete, asphalt and pounded clay allow fallen pollen to be taken up by the wind and blown “back into circulation”.

Furthermore, research suggests that dust and air pollution may aggravate allergic reactions to pollen, so city dwellers are more likely to develop hay fever symptoms.  Nature strikes back…

 

There is a whole industry based around hay fever – masks (used during the cold and flu season, but hay fever season greatly increases their demand period), yoghurt (said to help increase resistance), medications and air filtering devices.  Another staple of the weather report is the pollen forecast.

 

Governments are starting to take action.  There have been proposals to cut down cryptomeria and replace them with broadleaf trees – like they were before the crytopmeria plantations.

One major proponent of this is Tokyo governor Ishihara, mostly because he started suffering from hay fever…

Tags: cryptomeria, flowers, hay fever, Japanese cedar, trees

Toad Time

Spring is finally here, the ume and peach blossoms are out, albeit late, and the last of the wintersweet blooms are hanging on weeks after they would normally have all gone.  The daily cherry blossom reports are on the evening news and soon every park with a cherry tree will be crowded with merry-makers.

Having lived on an orchard for more than a decade, I’m a little cynical about the fuss made over the cherry blossom.  Almond, peach, plum, apricot, plumcot, nectarine, peacherine, and especially prune, we grew them all, and the cherry does not stand out – in my opinion at least – from any of the others.  (Then again, millions of Japanese people haven’t asked my opinion…)

 

The end of the academic year is upon us, and the new school year starts in early April.  In my darker moments, I swear that graduation and entrance ceremonies are timed so close together – about only three weeks apart – to coincide with the appearance of the cherry blossom.

 

Another dark reminder of the arrival of spring is the number of Japanese toads I see splattered on the roads after spring rain.  As an aficionado of reptiles and amphibians, I wish they were more road-safety savvy, or that at least boy-band idol groups would get run over with equal disregard.

 

The Japanese toad (Bufo japonicus) is one of the most familiar frogs to Japanese people.  It is commonly known as Nihon hikigaeru (日本蟇蛙), but has other names such as hiki, hikki, ibogaeru, gotobiki, gorota, gama and gamagaeru.  These last two are retained in the name “gama no abura” (ガマの油), which is said to be essential oils extracted from the toad’s poison glands.  In the Edo era, these were pedalled in much the same way as snake oil in the American West.

 

The Japanese toad is the largest frog in Japan – 18cm is a widely quoted figure and some sources claim lengths of 20cm (with which I’m not inclined to disagree).  Adults don’t need to stay near water, getting the moisture they need from leaf litter or damp soil, coming out in the night rain.  They only need a sizable water source during the breeding season.  Ponds, lakes, wet rice paddies, irrigation channels and even swimming pools become breeding grounds.  I can personally attest to the last one – one school I worked at was surrounded by farmland, and the pool was literally swimming with toads by the beginning of summer.

 

The “warts” on the toads include the poison glands which are supposed to deter predators.  The tiger keelback (see “Union of the Snake” for more details), however, is not only capable of ingesting this poison, it also then uses it for its own defence.

 

Japanese toads feed mainly on worms, slaters, insects and spiders, but large individuals may prey on mice and smaller frogs.

 

One reason for their high mortality rate when crossing roads is that they tend to be sluggish in cooler weather (such as rain), and they don’t hop.  Japanese toads crawl.

 

I had never seen one of these animals alive up close until very recently.  We went on a drip to Ome in rural Tokyo, and were strolling along a path paralleling the Tama River.  I was explaining to my mum that later in the year we might have been able to see river crabs or salamanders, when we came across this individual.  I would estimate its size as around 20 cm.

 

Sense of proportion - that's my foot in the photo, and my shoes are almost 30 cm long. I make that frog at 20 cm.

The patterns on this particular toad. Colouring and patterns vary significantly within the species.

Here you can see the "warts" on the toad. Always wash your hands after handling amphibians.

Many thanks to my daughter for taking the photos.

Tags: frogs, Japanese toad, toads

Further Adventures in Cross-Linguistic Nomeclature – Ideograph This!

Recently I was co-teaching a class of 8 and 9 year olds, and wanted them to be able to ask “Can you ~?”

After discussing the idea with the school’s staff, we decided to use the kanji names of various animals and plants.

 

Some background here. 

Early Japan did not have a unified indigenous writing system, and from the 6^th century the Chinese ideographic script (known as kanji in Japanese) was used.  Now, Japanese is linguistically not related to Chinese, and this led to problems.  Sometimes an approximate reading of the characters was used, ignoring the actual meaning of the ideograms.   Sometimes the meaning, and therefore the ideogram, was used, but the Chinese-based reading ignored in favour of the indigenous Japanese word.  Eventually phonetic scripts were developed and came to be used alongside the Chinese characters, often replacing non-standard readings in everyday texts.  But a number of the older written forms have survived into the present, and are an interesting field of study.

 

A simple example is dolphin.  The Japanese name is iruka, and today it is usually written in the katakana script (イルカ).  It may, however be written in kanji as 海豚 – literally “sea pig”, which would be read [hǎitún] in modern Mandarin Chinese, or [kaiton] if one was to use the standard Japanese readings – only no such word exists.  Incidentally, the root word of the English “porpoise” comes from Latin and also means “sea hog”.

 

Another animal containing the character for pig is the puffer fish, globe fish or blow fish – depending which dictionary you’re using.  In Japanese, it is known as fugu (河豚), where the characters mean “river pig”.

 

One that is easier to imagine is uni, when it is rendered 海栗, literally “sea chestnut”.  (The other way of writing it is 海胆 – “sea gall”)  Think of a spiny chestnut husk in the sea, and you’ll probably come up with a sea urchin.  Interestingly, the English word “urchin” derives from a Latin word meaning “hedgehog”

 

"Sea" + "chestnut" = "sea urchin". Pictograms can be so simple.

 

While we’re on the subject of sea creatures, let’s try kurage (海月).  By now you’ve probably worked out that the first character means sea.  The second one represents the word “moon”.

…

If you haven’t guessed, it is a jellyfish.

 

Let’s get out of the water for a moment and look at one of the easiest to understand – mukade (百足).  The first character means “hundred”, and the second means “leg” or “foot”.  You shouldn’t need me to tell you it is a centipede… which literally means “hundred legs”…

 

If we return to the chestnut and combine it with a mouse or rat (鼠), we end up with risu (栗鼠).  If you can imagine a rat that likes chestnuts… or something resembling chestnuts…  [Hint: if you’re a follower of this blog, you may remember that the word for acorn, donguri, is written 団栗.]

If you guessed squirrel, you are doing well.

 

Back into the sea, and we have another very easy one – hitode (海星).  The combination of “sea” and “star” should be a dead giveaway, especially to those in parts of the world that call this creature a sea star and not a starfish.

 

On the other hand, you are doing incredibly well if you guessed namako (海鼠) – literally “sea mouse”.  Most of the kids I was teaching that day had little idea what the creature in question was, but got a clearer picture when I explained the English name was “sea” plus “cucumber”.

 

I said that most of these animal names are native Japanese pronunciation, but sometimes the phonetic name is derived from other language sources too.

 

Rakko, for example, comes from an Ainu word.  The most common kanji form is 海獺 (猟虎 or “hunting tiger” is also sometimes used).  By now you should be able to recognise “sea”.  The other character means “otter”.  I’m sure you can guess the rest.

 

The original ideogram for "sea" - it is now written 海

 

Another word of Ainu derivation is shishamo (柳葉魚).  This is a case where the characters were chosen to match the Ainu meaning – “willow leaf fish”.  According to Ainu legend, a compassionate god transformed some floating willow leaves into fish to feed the starving people. 

Grilled or deep fried with the roe intact, this is one of only two items on the school lunch menu that I won’t eat.  Luckily, it only appears once or twice a year.

 

Shishamo "willow leaf fish" - If I caught anything that small I'd throw it back!! (Not to mention I HATE fish eggs...)

 

I’ve collected over a dozen of these words.  Many native speakers of Japanese can’t read them, so they are a great challenge for my workmates.  Not to mention what I learned from checking the etymology of the English word too.

Tags: kanji, language

Stone the Crows

Japan has a rich diversity of birds, and even in the cities a good variety can be seen – assuming you know where to look.

Unfortunately, the casual observer has a hard time seeing past the “big four” – sparrows, pigeons, starlings and crows – that make up the most obvious part of the urban and suburban avian population.

Moreover, the latter three all vie for the title of “Japan’s Most Disliked Bird”.

 

Pigeons, both native and feral, have taken to nesting in and around train stations, on high-rise buildings, in towers and in parks, and leave their signature droppings in huge piles around nesting sites.  Many public places have notices asking people not to feed the pigeons.

 

One kind of pigeon, the Eurasian collared dove or shirakobato (白子鳩) is the basis for the official Saitama mascot, Kobaton.

Why did we end up with a sky rat as a mascot?

Sky rat for rent... the Kobaton costume. Courtesy of the official Saitama site.

Starlings love soft fruit, and damage fruit crops.  They mass together in street trees and make an unbelievable amount of noise, and cover the pavement below with their droppings.  Some public places even have “Beware of starlings” notices.  (No, I made up that last bit.  But there are “Watch out for starling droppings” notices, so I wasn’t really lying)

 

As for crows… they raid garbage disposal sites.

 

Japanese garbage disposal consists of residents taking specified garbage out on specified days.  As an example, in my area, Monday is plastic day, Tuesday and Friday are burnable garbage days, every second Wednesday is can and bottle day, alternating with PET bottle day, one Thursday per month is for cardboard and newspapers… yes, we do get a calendar with all the days marked. 

The garbage is placed in plastic bags at a specified roadside collection site in the morning.

Garbage disposal, Japanese style. A buffet for crows.

Crows have learned that garbage means a free meal.

They can see through clear bags.  Researchers have experimented with yellow bags, which crows apparently can not see through, but they are forgetting one very important point – crows are among the most intelligent creatures on the planet.  Even if they can’t see through the bag, crows have learned to identify items which may contain food.  The crow slits the bag open and… well, you can imagine the rest.

 

Two species of crows can be found in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area: carrion crows, which are really just country crows visiting the city; and jungle crows which, despite the name, are well and truly at home even in the most urban regions.

Carrion crows (Corvus corone) are known locally as hashibosogarasu (嘴細烏) – literally “thin billed crows” – in reference to their comparatively thin beaks.  They are mostly scavengers and are omnivorous.  Jungle crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) go by the name hashibutogarasu (嘴太烏), again in reference to its beak, which is thick and evil-looking, and the perfect tool for slitting open carcasses – and garbage bags.  Like carrion crows they are omnivores, but with a stronger preference for meat, and will hunt mice and small birds.

Carrion crow feeding. Note the shape of the beak.

 

Juvenile jungle crow. Compare its beak to carrion crow's. Both photos taken from Wikipedia.

 

Crows typically operate solo or in pairs, but will flock together for protection.  They are capable driving away hawks and eagles through group coordination.

 

Actually, crows have not always had such a poor reputation.  They are mentioned in the Kojiki as yatagarasu (八咫烏) – literally “eight span crows”, (one span being about 18 cm) – guiding Emperor Jimmu to the land of Yamato.

Yatagarasu guiding Jimmu to Yamamo, and helping vanquish his enemies on the way. A 19th century print.

Three legged crows, known as sansokuu (三足烏) appear on shrines, and these are sometimes associated with the yatagarasu legend (although this is possibly a case of convergence – the Kojiki doesn’t specify tripodal corvids)

Count the legs. Image of the Kumamoto Shrine. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

 

A three legged crow on the Kumamoto Shrine in Kawagoe. Taken by me.

 

Of course, later crows would have incurred the wrath of farmers for raiding crops, and also become associated with scavenging battlefields and execution grounds.

 

Today, they incur the wrath of people like bigoted Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara, for whom trying to eradicate crows and foreign nationals are pet projects.

And, for pissing him off, crows earn my affection.

 

Tags: birds, crows, garbage disposal

If I said you had a nice Bodhisattva, would you hold it against me?

A fairly common sight along backroads in my immediate area is Buddhist statues, mostly the various forms of Kannon and Jizo.

The Kamiyasumatsu Jizos, near Akitsu Station. On the extreme left you can see a statue of Kannon

The Kannon next to the Kamiyasumatsu Jizo. You can see what I mean by "roadside statue"!

Jizo (地蔵), or Jizo Bosatsu (地蔵菩薩) is mostly known as a guardian of children and of travellers.  Kannon (観音) is an abbreviation of Kanzeon Bosatsu (観世音菩薩), a deity of compassion and mercy.  Kannon is usually male, but many female forms can be found.  These two bodhisattvas are the most popular among the people and therefore the most frequently depicted in statuary.

 

My local Jizo, with two ginkgo trees standing like sentinels.

The shrinelet is usually locked; it is opened only on certain occasions.

Another Kannon not far from home.

A multi-armed Kannon dating from the eighteenth century.

The date from the previous Kannon. "Meiwa" (明和) is still clearly visible.

I’ve tried counting the ones on my home-work route, but occasionally stumble upon one that has gone unnoticed before – sometimes in the shadow of a tree or hedge, tucked away at the entrance of a graveyard (where it looks like another grave marker), or behind another stone monument..

 

A 19th century stone marker dedicated to Bato Kannon. This one is in a construction depot wall!

A close-up of the previous photo.

Some of these statues, or sometimes just a stone with the Kannon’s name – usually Bato Kannon – carved on it, can be found literally on the roadside.  Some have their own housing, ranging from a stone to act as a roof to a wooden shrine, while others are left exposed to the elements.  Some are gathered near temples or shrines – whether they were originally placed there or relocated when modern roads were constructed (part of route 50 follows the old Kamakura Kaido route) is not clear.

 

What I have been able to ascertain is some of my local statues date from the mid- to late 1700s.  Most have engravings on the side showing the maker of the statue, the village it is dedicated to, and a date.  Some of the dates can still be clearly read, and show names such as Meiwa (明和), which covers a period between 1764 and 1771, and the following Anei (安永) period of 1772-1780.

The original Japanese dating system was based on a period decreed by the reigning emperor or his courtiers.  A new name was chosen if the emperor died and a new one was enthroned, or if something extremely misfortunate happened and it was deemed better to sever the association of the name with the event and start afresh, or if something extremely fortunate occurred, or when certain astrological cycles were complete, or…

A confusing system indeed.

 

Another Kannon close to home

 

A closeup of the previous Kannon. I wonder - are those the 3 monkeys "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil"?

 

Stone markers dedicated to Bato Kannon, right next to the Kannon in the previous photos.

 

Unfortunately, carvings on a 250-plus statue exposed to the weather and covered in lichens are often hard to read without the sun at the right angle, and even harder to photograph…

 

It is hard to photograph detail on a weathered statue like this...

 

The Kannon is standing on someone or something...

 

For those who want more in-depth information on Jizo and Kannon, this website contains a wealth of information, and is well worth looking at.

 

A Kannon in Sayama, dedicated to the souls of farm animals.

 

Jizo features in many folk stories.  Some of these are widely known, while many are strictly localised.  I have recently found some from Sayama, and will include these in a future post.

Tags: buddhist statues, jizo bosatsu, kannon, stone marker

Hail Me!

You’re never too old to learn.

As spring approaches, relatively warm air currents blow up from the south, but for the next month or so we can expect gales as high and low pressure cells battle it out across the Kanto Plain.

Riding to work during a strong northerly is not much fun, mostly because north is the direction I most need to travel.  Picking up speed going downhill becomes difficult…

 

Grey clouds cover the sky above me, but I can see the edge and clear sky further north.  Even the mountains in Gunma are visible.

Streaks start whizzing down, but there is no sign of rain.  Then I realise that it’s hail.

 

Japanese has two words for hail.

One is arare (霰), the other is hyo (雹).

Consulting a couple of dictionaries, I finally learn the difference.

Arare is small hailstones (the Bureau of Meteorology defines it as less than 5mm in diameter) that fall in autumn or winter.  Hyo are larger hailstones that fall in spring or summer.

 

I’ve learned something new.

I was caught in arare.

Tags: hail, weather

Wintersweet memories

I have been mentioning the cold weather recently on Wild in Japan – by the way, it’s freezing as I write this – and this does play a role in the frequency, or lack thereof – of my posts.

Winter is supposed to be the best time for spotting birds – the lack of foliage on trees makes them easier to spot, and they have to take more risks to get food.  But as for actually getting photos of them…

 

There are plenty of evergreen plants here too, and clear sunny days create the illusion that everything could spring to life at any moment.  Unfortunately, cloud cover and rain just make the place seem miserable.

 

At this time of year, when the temperature outside and the temperature inside my fridge converge, two flowers come into their own.  I’ve already covered one – the camellia – in a previous post.  The other is the wintersweet.

 

Late afternoon, just after a sun-shower. The flowers provide a splash of contrast against the greens and greys.

 

 

The wintersweet (several plants of the genus Chimonanthus, particularly Chimonanthus praecox, or Japanese allspice) are known locally as robai (蝋梅, 蠟梅, 臘梅 or 唐梅).

Indigenous to China, they played an important role for Chinese New Year celebrations, being the few plants to blossom at that time of year.

 

Blossoms past their prime just after a sun-shower. What they lack in aesthetic appeal, they more than make up in fragrance.

 

In Japan, their role was less important, but they remain a popular park and garden plant, partially for being a winter-blossoming tree, and partially for the rich, sweet fragrance the blossom releases.  This is one time I wish I could share smells over the internet.

 

Smell this! Bright yellow wintersweet blossom.

 

Mt. Hodo in Nagatoro is famous for its wintersweet trees, but Tokorozawa’s Kokukoen also boasts a small wintersweet garden.  A great way to excite the senses on a clean winter’s day.

 

A tree in blossom, with the remains of the snowfall from two days before.

 

Tags: Japanese allspice, plants, wintersweet