False Strawberry Fields Forever

Riding home from work a little before sunset, and enjoying the recently-turned warm-on-a-regular-basis weather, I find myself passing through taro gardens, recently harvested and ready-to-be-harvested tea fields, and patches of roadside wood and devastation.

Tea harvester at sunset.

Before… woods on the roadside.

…and after. (Actually, it is immediately adjacent to the previous photo, but it should give you an idea of Japan’s appetite for construction)

On the opposite side of the minor road I’m using I spot a single red, err, spot.  Hoping that this is going to be worth my time, I slam on my brakes, spin around, and get ready to photograph.

I locate the red fruit.  It turns out to be a raspberry.  Oh, well.

A raspberry – not what I was looking for.

I was hoping it was something else.  Which I find about a week later, less than a kilometre away…

I know the Japanese name, just not the English name.

 

It has trefoil leaves like a strawberry.  It produces flowers like a strawberry.  It has red fruit growing on long stalks like a strawberry.  It is even related to a strawberry.  But it is not a strawberry.

 

Leaves, runners, fruit… but all is not as it seems…

 

The plant in question is known locally as hebiichigo (蛇苺), literally “snake strawberry”.  There doesn’t appear to be an English common name for Potentilla hebiichigo, although the names mock strawberry, Gurbir, Indian strawberry or false strawberry are applied to the closely related and very similar Potentilla indica.  The latter is known as yabuhebiichigo (藪蛇苺). 

The two are very difficult to distinguish without flowers – the former develops five-petaled flowers, while the latter produces flowers with six petals.

Hebiichigo tends to produce slightly rounder leaves that are lighter in colour, and it prefers more open areas.  So it is most likely that the plants on my commute are indica.

Live and learn.

 

The fruit here is large and slightly glossy, and the leaves a darker shade and slightly pointed. This plant is probably indica.

 

Taken at a different location, this plant has a smaller, duller fruit and rounder leaves (not visible here). Most likely, this is the hebiichigo.

 

Both of these plants have been the victims of nomenclature wars, and are sometimes found under the genus Duchesnea.

 

Another local folk name for the plant is dokuichigo (毒苺), literally “poison strawberry”, and there is a folk belief that the fruit of the plant is poisonous.  In fact, the fruit is not harmful at all, it apparently – I haven’t tested this – is merely lacking in taste.

Yet another folk name is kuchinawaichigo, in which the “kuchinawa” is an old name for snake – apparently it refers to a rotting rope.

The common name is related to a folk belief that snakes ate the fruit, or that they would lie in wait under to plant to attack small animals that came to feed on the fruit.

 

This is a fairly attractive plant, and it is sometimes cultivated for its bright yellow flowers as well as the red fruit.  It is also used in traditional folk medicine to treat fevers and haemorrhoids.

A workmate tells me that as a child she was given a treatment of false strawberries steeped in alcohol for eczema.

I have also found references to false strawberry liqueurs on the Internet.

Mt. Fuji – Not World Heritage Natural Site

Well, it looks like it has finally happened, but not in the way originally planned: Mt. Fuji is poised to make World Heritage listing… as a cultural site rather than a natural site.

From The Japan Times:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/01/national/mount-fuji-to-become-world-heritage-site/#.UYQ1XsoQ_pY

 

National icon: Mount Fuji, seen from the air Wednesday, is on the way to winning World Heritage status. | KYODO

Historical Kamakura dropped from consideration

Mount Fuji on verge of World Heritage listing

Kyodo

• May 1, 2013

An important UNESCO panel has recommended that World Heritage status be granted to Mount Fuji, putting the iconic peak on a direct path to registration.

Japan’s tallest mountain is expected to be formally listed in June when the World Heritage Committee meets in Cambodia.

However, the advisory panel, known as the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), also said in the late Tuesday announcement that it rejected a Japanese request to add a group of cultural assets in the ancient city of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, to the World Heritage list, citing scarce assets directly linked to the medieval shogunate’s rule.

In its request for registration, the Cultural Affairs Agency said Mount Fuji covers roughly 70,000 hectares in Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures, including five major lakes and the Shiraito Falls.

IMOCOS noted that the mountain is a national symbol of Japan and blends religious and artistic traditions, government officials said.

“We are delighted to hear the news. Once Mount Fuji is registered as a World Heritage site, we hope it will be known to more people,” said an official of Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture, at the foot of the mountain.

Yamanashi Gov. Shomei Yokouchi also welcomed the recommendation for registration.

“We would like to cooperate with the central government and Shizuoka Prefecture to make utmost efforts to enable Mount Fuji to be registered as a World Heritage site,” Yokouchi said.

The volcano is seen as a symbol of nature worship in the country and has been depicted in ukiyo-e woodblock prints, the agency said in its filing with UNESCO.

For the 3,776-meter peak to be listed, however, ICOMOS said the Miho-no-Matsubara pine grove, which Japan sought to include as part of the asset, must be excluded, because it is 45 km from Mount Fuji and can’t be considered a part of it, the Japanese officials said.

If formally approved, Fuji will be Japan’s first registered World Heritage site since the historic Hiraizumi area in Iwate Prefecture was listed in 2011, and bring Japan’s total listings to 13.

The government officially asked UNESCO in January 2012 to register the two sites in 2013. In December, ICOMOS requested additional information.

The request for Kamakura covered a roughly 2,000-hectare area, including Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Enkaku Temple and the Great Buddha.

Kamakura was the seat of a samurai government from the late 12th to 14th centuries that nurtured cultural practices including the tea ceremony and Zen rituals.

Registration on the World Heritage list is aimed at preserving precious cultural assets and natural treasures for future generations, but is also significant in boosting tourism.

(article ends)

 

Poor Mt. Fuji has been the subject of some stupid proposals.  In WWII, a hair-brained idea from Washington was floated to “bomb” the mountain with red paint to demoralise the Japanese.  In the early 1990’s, there were similarly hair-brained proposals from Japanese corporations for chair lifts at least part way up, if not to the summit.  Luckily, neither of these ever came to fruition.

However, Mt. Fuji’s status as “Japan’s highest toilet” and “litter at 3700 m above sea level” inevitably mean it would not qualify as natural heritage.  Besides, too many local governments and businesses use the equation ()+World Heritage=￥.

You can’t have over one million climbers in the space of six weeks going up a mountain every year without some major environmental impact.  Especially when these climbers demand food, accommodation, and toilet facilities.

My second climb to the summit – over a decade ago – was on the last weekend of the summer holidays, probably the worst time to make the climb.  It was just one long Disneyland-esque queue from the start of the trail at the Kawaguchi 5^th station (yes, almost all climbers start from about half way up) to the summit.

Strewn here and there were forgotten items of clothing, food wrappers, instant noodle cups and disposable chopstick (hint: just because something is disposable, it doesn’t mean you should dispose of it there and then!!), and hiking staves (the softwood staves sold as souvenirs that you can then get branded with a hot iron at the various huts on the mountain to prove you climbed the it… whatever…), along with rubble from demolished mountain huts.

Toilets were an adventure in themselves.  Firstly, there were very few of these on the mountain.  Secondly, almost all of them were long-drop toilets (no sewers or septic tanks up here!).  Thirdly, because the low temperatures mean bacterial activity is very slow, toilet paper won’t break down quickly enough.  Instead of dropping your used toilet paper down the hole, you placed it in a box from which it is collected and burned – hopefully without any being spilled!!

However, according to the Mt. Fuji as a World Cultural Site site, these toilets have all been replaced with more environmentally friendly ones.

 

Regardless of whether or not Mt. Fuji finally makes the World Heritage list, it seems that the Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectural governments are going to put a fee on climbing.

 

From the Mainichi:

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130410p2a00m0na004000c.html

 

Climbers face admission fees to scale Mt. Fuji as part of UNESCO World Heritage site bid

KOFU — Climbers of Mount Fuji face admission fees to hike Japan’s highest mountain as regional governments look to have the famous peak registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The governor of Yamanashi Prefecture announced on April 9 that he will go along with neighboring Shizuoka Prefecture’s proposal to charge admission fees to Mt. Fuji starting in the summer of 2013.

The Shizuoka Prefectural Government announced its intention to charge Mt. Fuji climbers with admission fees as part of an action plan that was revised on April 8 to promote the country’s highest peak as a world heritage site. The regional government also introduced a plan to charge entrance fees from this summer on a trial basis and to survey climbers about the charges. The amount of the fees, the collection system, etc. has yet to be determined.

Shomei Yokouchi, the governor of Yamanashi Prefecture, told a news conference on April 9 that he will not object to Shizuoka Prefecture’s proposal to start charging admission fees in the summer of next year as long as locals agree to the plan. Both prefectural governments are set to decide details at a joint council that is promoting Mt. Fuji as a world heritage site, which is made up of local governments around the mountain.

Furthermore, Yokouchi expressed his opinion that even if the mountain did not make it to the heritage list, the introduction of admission fees is “something to consider.”

April 10, 2013(Mainichi Japan)

I don’t have a problem with a small fee for climbing, as long as the money make on Mt. Fuji stays on Mt. Fuji!

Takao – a hill by any other name

Mt. Takao is a popular hiking retreat for urbanites – within one hour of central Tokyo, several routes, including one paved all the way (perfect for those elderly types who buy all the essential hiking gear which never seems to get dirty, much like suburbanite Australians driving big 4WDs to the shopping centre and no further), and two options to bypass the steepest slopes: a funicular and a chairlift.

At just 599m, there is no way Takao deserves a titular “Mt.” (And I have NO qualms about mocking people who list it as a “mountain” they’ve climbed – especially when I suspect they made half the trip by means other than their own two feet.)  On the other hand, it is a good daytrip to get away from the city and actually have the opportunity to encounter something different.

Just to get you in the spirit of things, here’s a little article from The Daily Yomiuri December 27, 2007.  (Sorry, no link as the Yomiuri doesn’t archive articles).  Serious hiker Ian described it as “pure GOLD”

Rescues spike on popular hike / Novice climbers flocking to Michelin Guide 3-starred Mt. Takao

The Yomiuri Shimbun

This year has seen a marked increase in the number of hikers needing to be rescued from the 599-meter high Mt. Takao in Hachioji, Tokyo, with 43 people in 41 incidents having been rescued this year as of Tuesday compared with 26 people rescued in 20 incidents last year.

The rise is being attributed to a spike in the number of beginner hikers attempting to scale the mountain without appropriate gear.

However, others argue the spike in rescues is due to a spike in climbers triggered by the mountain being featured in the most recent Michelin guidebook on Japan, published in April.

The guide gave the mountain three stars as a tourist spot.

Mt. Takao is located about an hour from central Tokyo by train and has many easy routes for beginners.

A recent boom in mountaineering helped push the number of visitors to the mountain to about 2.5 million people last year.

Michelin published in French “Voyager Pratique Japon” in April, which features 820 sightseeing spots across Japan.

Noting that Mt. Takao is “located close to a big city, but is richly endowed with nature,” the guidebook gave the mountain its highest rating of three stars. Mt. Fuji was the only other mountain to garner three stars.

According to the tourism section of the Hachioji municipal government, in November about 250,000 tourists came to view autumn leaves, about 25 percent more visitors compared with the same period last year. The guidebook is believed to have partly contributed to this increase.

English, Chinese and Korean guideposts were set up in September at the start of hiking trails in response to the increase in foreign visitors.

However, the increase of hikers also has increased the number of accidents involving hikers, such as getting lost and falling down slopes.

According to a survey by the Metropolitan Police Department’s antidisaster division, about 15 to 20 incidents a year were reported for the past three years until last year.

However, over 40 incidents have been reported this year. In June, Takao Police Station started a mountain rescue unit.

Many of those who have needed rescuing have been beginners attempting to climb the mountain with little planning, including being dressed in clothing unsuitable for hiking.

In October, a 51-year-old man dressed in a suit and leather shoes asked to be rescued after he began climbing in the afternoon and was unable to follow the trail after it got dark.

In November, a 49-year-old drunk man was injured after falling about three meters.

A 37-year-old man had to be rescued after suffering dehydration after trying to ride up the mountain on a bicycle without drinking water.

Although the peak of the hiking season has already passed, many hikers visit a temple near the top of the mountain during the year-end and New Year’s season and to see the sunrise on Jan. 1.

Kenichiro Maruyama, head of the mountain rescue unit, has a warning for reckless hikers. “If you underestimate Mt. Takao, you may lose your life. You must prepare rain gear, survival food and a flashlight at least,” he said.

(Dec. 27, 2007)

I had the kids in tow, so anything other than the paved No. 1 route was out of the question (but I made the kids climb the whole way, heh, heh.)   One positive thing that can be said about the paved trail is that it discourages hikers from leaving it, and prevents further damage to the local ecosystem.  Plants grow right up to the trail edge, and it was good to see my kids take an interest in their surroundings.

 

Of particular interest to the kids were bracken ferns with their new spring fronds, the acauba with their large red berries, and the cobra lily urashima, which was a new experience for me too.

Fronds, particularly those from Pteridium aquilinum  - known as warabi (蕨) – and Osmunda japonica – known as zenmai (薇) – are a common food product here, and it is lucky that collecting plants is forbidden on the mountain hill, otherwise these areas would be virtually strip-mined and we’d have hordes of middle-aged to elderly women trampling all over the place.  With fronds like that, who needs enemies?

 

I can’t identify the type of fern or bracken, but the fronds caught the attention of my kids.

The aucuba (Aucuba japonica) is a plant I only knew by its Japanese name, aoki (青木) learning its English name while researching for this post.  Actually, aucuba is a latinization of aokiba, a regional name for the plant.  It thrives even in the shade of broadleaf canopies, and the large red berries are rather attractive.

 

The large berries (over 1cm long) of the acauba.

The cobra lily Urashima may be a subspecies of Arisaema thunbergii, or a separate species (Arisaema urashima), depending on who you listen to.  Ah, nomenclature wars.

After spotting this plant (OK, actually the kids spotted it and pointed it out to me, but let’s not get hooked up on details), I dived into my guide book and thought it may have been the crowdipper (Pinellia ternata), although the crowdipper lacks the purple colouring.  Later reading suggested that the crowdipper, which is an early import from China, was very similar in appearance to the cobra lily Urashima.  The latter, a native, has a purple tinge.  Furthermore, this plant was listed on the official Takao website.

The local name is urashimaso (浦島草) – literally “Urashima grass” –  and the most widely accepted reason is the long spadix appendix (try saying that quickly!) which brings to mind the fishing rod and line of the fairy tale character/folk hero Urashima Taro.

 

The flower and sapix of the cobra lily Urashima. The appendix can reach up to 60 cm in length.

I was hoping to encounter some fauna other than Homo sapiens, but the vast majority of creatures preferred to be heard than to be seen.  Bush warblers made their presence known, and at a spring (where water trickled out of the rock face) we could hear frogs calling.

 

Takao has a long association with the Shugendo religion, and the Takaosan Yakuonin Temple of one of the Shingon branches is a major drawcard for visitors.

Because it is a sacred mountain hill, small shrines and statues line the trails and temple grounds.  But the most famous icon is the tengu.

 

“Beware of tengu”

I won’t go too deeply into tengu beyond the two main types, tengu (a red-faced, long-nosed mountain spirit) and the karasu-tengu, which has the face of a crow.

 

Tengu acting as guardians to the fierce-looking Buddhist diety.

Tengu or Daitengu.

Karasutengu. This and the previous photo were taken within the temple grounds.

Giant tengu mask to the right of the entrance of the main temple building.

And on the left, karasutengu.

A tengu as on of the Nio statues.

A karasutengu as the other Nio statue.

 

Another element of the supernatural on Mt. Takao is the legend surrounding the Takosugi (“Octopus cryptomeria”).  Apparently, the roots of a large crytomeria tree were blocking the construction of a path for pilgrims.  A couple of variations exist, but the main gist is that the tree wrapped its roots back behind its trunk – in a single night – reminding people of an octopus.  One variation of the story is said to date back 600 years, even though the tree in question is believed to be 450 years old.

A large crytomeria tree, over 30 metres tall. There are lots of these near the temple.

 

The “Tako Sugi” (蛸杉). See how the roots have turned back around the trunk instead of spreading out. The person in the picture gives you some idea of the size. Unfortunately, the roots have been fenced off to avoid further damage from hikers touching them.

 

We celebrated our climb to the summit (all 599 metres, he says cynically) with some overpriced ice cream, before deciding which route to take down.  I managed to convince the kids that taking a dirt trail leading to a suspension bridge would be more interesting – which it was.

View from the summit. That’s downtown Tokyo in the background.

 

We also encountered plenty of gold-banded lilies (Lilium auratum).  These attractive flowers are natives to Japanese mountains and hills, and appropriately have the name yamayuri (山百合), literally “mountain lily”.  Apparently, the bulbs and shoots of these plants were a food source in ancient times, and even today are sold as vegetables in supermarkets.

A cluster of immature gold-banded lilies.

 

Closer up.

 

A signpost at a trail junction pointed to the Ja Waterfall.  Even though that path would not lead back to our station, meaning it would be a return trip, my eldest decided she would like to see the waterfall.

The fall itself was not particularly spectacular, but there was a “mizugyo” dojo, for the ascetic practice of sitting or standing under a waterfall while reciting sutras or prayers.  We saw someone, clearly having a connection with the temple, leave the dojo.

The Ja no Taki (“Serpant Waterfall”)

Gateway to the dojo.

Someday I would like to try mizugyo/takigyo/takiuchi – provided it is in summer!

 

A short rest and then the climb back to where we left our original path.  My youngest decided he was too tired to climb, so I had to carry him part of the way.  We made it back to route number 1, and it was downhill all the way.  And murder on my knees!

 

Mt. Takao is not a mountain.  But it is a mountain of fun for those around Tokyo who want to get away for a day.

The Other Flowers

April is upon us – the beginning of a new financial and academic year, and for me, a change of schools.

Entrance ceremony is on April 8^th this year, but the early arrival of the cherry blossoms and the amount of rain we can expect between now and then will almost ensure there will be almost no blossom on this day when cherry blossom’s attendance is mandatory…

But, I beg you, spare a thought for the other flowers.

I’ve recently covered magnolias, but it was the change of work places that made me take more notice of another spring flower, the dogtooth violet, trout lily or katakuri.

A patch of dogtooth violets near Inariyama Park, Sayama.

The dogtooth violet (Erythronium japonicum) is a member of the lily family, and is native to Japan as well as parts of China, Russia and Korea.  It is the only member of the genus Erythronium native to Japan.

Typically known as katakuri (片栗), it was once known by the name katakago (堅香子).  It is also known as the Spring ephemeral.

It grows at a variety of altitudes from plains to 2000 metre class mountains.  It shows a clear preference for broad-leafed deciduous forest environments, but can be found in conifer forests too.

A closer view of the same patch.  This area is fenced off and protected by the local neighbourhood.

The plant is estimated to live for between forty to fifty years, and it generally takes seven to eight years for a plant to grow from bulb to flowering age.  In addition to germinating from bulbs, they can also grow from seeds, which are spread by ants.

Unfortunately, the dogtooth violet is vulnerable to loss due to the usual reasons – urban encroachment on its environment and poaching of the plant.

A single dogtooth violet flower. These are in fact true lilies.

Dogtooth violet was once important as a source of starch, known as katakuriko (片栗粉) – literally “katakuri powder” – extracted from the bulbs.  Fortunately, this has been almost entirely replaced with starch from potatoes or taro, but still retains the katakuri name.  Although the aim of some of today’s “poaching” is possibly this hard-to-get commodity, it is only a small fraction of the damage done by collectors or even just people trouncing around off the beaten track and crushing everything underfoot.  Like I said, the usual suspects.

My first encounter with this flower was during a little walk out in the Chichibu-Okutama area (exactly where has escaped me) around 1999 or 2000.  Perhaps somewhere I still have an old snapshot.

More recently, I was delighted to discover a patch growing on my work route two years ago.  Unfortunately, my recent change of schools means I will no longer pass this violet delight in the late March to early June period.  It also means the photos for this post are older ones taken with my old mobile phone…  Sorry about that, Chief.

While my new commute route does not include any dogtooth violet flowers, it does take me through a small copse, tea fields, and past a section of forest.  Where the wild things are.

Dust storms and Magnolias

I apologise for my lack of blogging activity recently.  The end of term tests being held essentially mid-term, graduation ceremony preparation, preparing for a karate grading (which I failed miserably…), getting ready to change schools, and various other factors have been keeping me away from the keyboard, or at least, distracting me enough.

The weather has been unstable lately – days of 22℃ or more followed by days reaching barely half that, sudden bursts of cherry blossom catching the catering industry off-guard, and dust storms.

A group of Mississipi red-eared sliders sunning themselves on an unsually warm day in mid-March.

Cherry blossoms out earlier than usual.

This year has been notorious for its pollen levels.  The March 9-10 weekend allegedly produced more cryptomeria pollen than the total for the previous season.  People who have never suffered from hay fever before have developed symptoms.  I thought I might be developing an allergy, although the doctor suggested a sinus infection.  It’s still too early to tell, and anyway, the medicine I was prescribed is the same one my wife takes for her hay fever!

The media has been having a field day with the levels of PM 2.5 blowing over from China (the domestic media loves bagging China), but for some reason neglects to mention localised dust storms, which are possibly a much more real and present health risk.

Local farmers have ploughed their fields, but not planted cover crops or irrigated.  Then 30m/second winds pick up the fine dust and, you can guess the rest.  Oh, well.

A WSW gale blows dust across route 50, and into my face!

Flowers are out in increasing numbers and some of the deciduous trees are shooting bright green leaves.  While the cherry blossom is the perennial star of spring, it is hard to overlook the magnolias.

They’re flowers, they’re white, they’re on trees, but they’re not cherry blossoms… magnolias.

Two kinds of magnolias are frequently seen in parks and gardens, the Yulan magnolia (sometimes confused with the Mulan magnolia), and the kobushi magnolia.

The Yulan magnolia (Magnolia heptapeta or Magnolia denudate) grows to between ten and fifteen metres tall, and is famous for its large white flowers.  Its Japanese name, hakumokuren (白木蓮), indicates that it is a white tree flower that resembles a lotus.  Certainly, the six petals and three sepals – also white – are reminiscent of lotus flowers.  The flowers give off a pleasant citrus fragrance.

Side view of the Yulan magnolia opening.

The same flower seen from above. You can see the similarity to a lotus flower here.

The Mulan magnolia (Magnolia quinquepeta or Magnolia liliiflora) – also known as the lily magnolia, tulip magnolia, red magnolia, purple magnolia, Jane magnolia and woody orchid – is quite similar except for the colour and the length of its petals and sepals.  The elongated petals and sepals give it an orchid-like appearance, and this was reflected in the older Japanese name mokuran (木蘭), literally “tree orchid”.  Today it is taken to be more lotus-like, and the modern names are mokuren (木蓮) – “tree lotus” or shimokuren (紫木蓮) – “purple tree lotus”.

Although the Mulan magnolia made its debut into the English-speaking world as the Japanese magnolia, neither it nor the Yulan magnolia are Japanese natives.  Both originate from China.

The kobushi magnolia (Magnolia kobus) is native to Japan.  Its flowers are easily distinguished from the Yulan magnolias by the lack of obvious sepals.  It produces clusters of red fruit that look like a clenched fist, which give it its common Japanese name kobushi, although the characters used to write the name (辛夷) are identical to those used in China for the Mulan magnolia.

The kobushi magnolia flowers are said to resemble cherry blossom when viewed from a distance – although the magnolia flowers earlier – and some regional names reflect this.

Kobushi magnolia flowers. These trees blossom earlier than other magnolia species.

Count the petals… six slightly elongated petals and no obvious sepals… it’s a kobushi magnolia.

I’m hoping the warm weather will continue (no guarantees there – I remember when we had heavy snow on the last day of March one year), but even more importantly, I’m hoping we get a few more nights of rain so we don’t get any more dust storms.  I’m sick of washing topsoil out of my eyes!

 

Haru Ichiban

Between early February (the beginning of spring on the lunar calendar) and the equinox, there is usually a gale from the south bringing warmer and more humid air over the archipelago.

This gale or storm is commonly known as haru ichiban (春一番).

Oddly enough, there was no haru ichiban in the Kanto region last year, and the warmest day so far this year was February 2nd, BEFORE the official period (it actually got to over 18 ℃!).  Then yesterday, we had strong gales blowing in from the south.  As a result, the weather is now just cool to cold as opposed to freezing.

Unfortunately for us living around here, the local market farmers usually plow up their fields just before this period, resulting in dust storms.  I’m still washing yesterday’s dust out of my eyes.  (And to think of the fuss the local media makes of the stuff that blows across from the Gobi Desert)

Also, as high and low pressure cells battle it out for supremacy, I can expect head winds from the north as I cycle to work, and head winds from the south as I cycle home.  (In addition to dust storms!)

White-Eyes

The kids were playing in the park on a sunny late winter day when I noticed some movement in the sazanqua trees.  Quietly moving closer, I could see a hint of green, and then the entire bird became visible.  There was a single factor that allowed me to identify it immediately – the ring of white around its eyes.  So the next 20 minutes or so were spent playing hide-and-seek with the Japanese white-eye.

Known locally as mejiro (目白 or, less commonly, 繍眼児), the Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) is a commonly seen bird in urban parks.  Measuring just 12 cm long, it is the third-smallest wild bird in Japan – only the winter wren and the goldcrest are smaller.  It is found throughout the main islands of Japan and also in the Korean peninsula, China, Taiwan, and parts of Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.

It is an omnivorous bird, although it tends to limit its diet to fruit and nectar outside of chick-raising season.

 

A Japanese white-eye feeding on camelia nectar. Photo taken from Wikipedia.

The Japanese white-eye is known as a herald of spring.  They are especially fondof the nectar from ume blossom.  Ume trees begin to blossom around early February – New Year on the lunar calendar.  Because the coldest period of the year had passed, this was considered the beginning of spring (although February has more than its share of freezing cold days and in these parts is the month with the highest number of snowy days…)

 

In addition, there is some confusion between the white-eye and the other bird associated with spring, the bush warbler (Horornis diphone) or uguisu (鶯 or less commonly鴬) in Japanese.  These two are similar in size – the bush warbler only 2-3 cm longer – and silhouette.  The bush warbler is known for its distinctive breeding call, but it is duller in colour than the white-eye, and is much more wary – to the extent of rarely being seen.  People would hear the male bush warbler’s cry and see the beautifully coloured white-eye fluttering among the ume trees.  As a result, there is a strong association between ume blossoms and bush warblers, when in fact the bird seen in the ume is likely to be a white-eye.  (Bush warblers tend to eat insects and seeds and are unlikely to feed in the ume trees)

A bush warbler. It is much duller than the Japanese white-eye, but is known for its beautiful breeding call. Photo taken from Wikipedia.

This confusion dates back centuries, manifesting itself in the old game of hanafuda right through to the present time – a Japanese Google Image search for bush warblers produces a lot of photos of white-eyes.

The “Bush warbler in the ume” card from the game of Hanafuda. The colour seems to be based more on the white-eye than the bush warbler, and bush warblers are unlikely to be seen in ume trees. Photo from Wikipedia.

Further confusing the issue is the Japanese name for bright olive-green – uguisu-iro (literally “bush warbler colour”), when this colour actually matches white-eyes, while bush warblers are a duller shade of brown.

 

A playful and colourful bird, the Japanese white-eye was once open to collection, but this was outlawed in 2012.  An illegal trade still exists, however.

 

I enjoyed my time watching the Japanese white-eyes flitting around and feeding, and cursed the fact that I didn’t have the good camera and lens needed to get some decent photos.

My attempt to photograph the jumpy little birds with my mobile phone. I want a proper camera!!

 

Flight of the Calamari

Flying squid… no, that is not a spelling mistake.

Apparently this was something of an urban legend until now.

From Digital Journal

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/343203

Japanese flying squids — Scientists confirm flight capabilities

Marine biologists at the Hokkaido University have conducted a study that sheds light on reports of sightings of a type of Japanese squid flying above the ocean’s surface.

The Japanese researchers say their study is the first scientific confirmation of claims of flight capabilities of the squids Todarodes pacificus, based previously on anecdotal accounts. They also say their study provides the first detailed description of the flight mechanisms of the Neon Flying Squids.

Previous anecdotal accounts of flying squids claim that they emerge from water and streak through air over several meters for a few seconds. Now, the team of Japanese marine biologists have photographed them doing just that in groups.

Jun Yamamoto of Hokkaido University and his colleagues provide answers to the questions about how the Japanese flying squid achieves it remarkable flying capabilities.

The squid normally swims backwards in water with it fins. It has a nozzle near its head from which it can eject water for propulsion, for instance, in emergency when it needs to escape from a predator.

The study reveals that during flight, the squid releases high-pressured water jet. It then spreads out its fins like wings and glides over the surface of the water.

The study showed that the flying squid can fly at up to 11.2 meters per second, as AFP notes, faster than Usain Bolt who, at the 2012 Olympics, averaged only 10.3 meters per second.

The estimates of the speed of the flying squids were made from photographs taken in flight over the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Wired.com reports that the Hokkaido University study is the first scientific study that confirms anecdotal accounts of flight capabilities of the squids. Yamamoto reports that a 2004 study had only collected “substantial anecdotal evidence” of flying squid.

ALMANDINE

Flying squid, Todarodes pacificus

AFP reports that biologist Jun Yamamoto of Hokkaido University, said: “There were always witnesses and rumors that said squid were seen flying, but no one had clarified how they actually do it. We have proved that it really is true.”

According to AFP, the scientists carried out field observations of the squids in July 2011.

Yamamoto and his team tracked a shoal of around 100 squids that belong to the Japanese Flying Squid family in the northwest Pacific, 600 kilometers (370 miles) east of Tokyo. They saw the squids swimming just below the surface of the ocean, but as their boat approached the shoal of about 100 20-centimeter long squids, about 20 individuals launched into the air shooting powerful jets of water for propulsion.

The study authors said: “Once they finish shooting out the water, they glide by spreading out their fins and arms. The fins and the web between the arms create aerodynamic lift and keep the squid stable on its flight arc. As they land back in the water, the fins are all folded back into place to minimize the impact.”

A photo (see below) shows several of the squids in flight above water. Their propulsion jet water is visible in the photo. The study authors said: “We have discovered that squid do not just jump out of water but have a highly developed flying posture.”

Kouta Muramatsu, Hokkaido University (Handout)

Squids flying in the air in the northwest Pacific Ocean.

The squids fly through the air for only about three seconds and may travel up to 30 meters, Yamamoto said. The researchers concluded that the squids fly to escape predators. But they noted that escape through flight from marine predators exposes them to predators in the air. The study authors observed: “This finding means that we should no longer consider squid as things that live only in the water. It is highly possible that they are also a source of food for sea birds.”

The study was published by German science magazine Marine Biology.

The study comes shortly after a group of Japanese scientists unveiled last month, the first images of the giant squid in its natural habitat, deep in the Pacific Ocean.   Digital Journal reports the mission was organized by the Japan National Science Museum in collaboration with the Japanese broadcaster NHK and the US Discovery Channel. The giant squid, Architeuthis, is known as one of the “last mysteries of the ocean.”

Eels seeing red?

The good news: Japanese eels have just been placed on the Environment Ministry’s “Red List” of species at risk of extinction.

The bad news: Nothing is legally binding, fishing and trading will be unaffected, and it sounds like another “jobs for the boys” project.

Read on and decide for yourself.

Article from The Japan Times.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/02/02/environment/ministry-officially-classifies-japanese-eel-as-species-at-risk-of-extinction/

Seeing red: Japanese eel have been placed on the Environment Ministry’s red list of species deemed at risk of extinction. | KYODO

Ministry officially classifies Japanese eel as species at risk of extinction

KYODO

FEB 2, 2013

 

The Environment Ministry on Friday designated the Japanese eel as a species at risk of extinction on its red list of endangered freshwater and brackish water fish, although the move is not legally binding.

“This does not mean people will become unable to eat eels, which are indispensable to Japan’s culinary culture,” Environment Minister Nobuteru Ishihara told a news conference, explaining the government’s decision is aimed at raising public awareness about the extinction risk. “Relevant government ministries and agencies will go all out to protect eels.”

Although no restrictions will be introduced on the trade and fishing of eel, the government hopes to build momentum for preserving the species by including it on the ministry’s red list.

Eels are highly prized in Japan, especially as a source of energy during the sweltering summer months. But their numbers are running short due to overfishing and the degradation of their natural habitat from various resource development projects.

The annual domestic eel catch has sunk to as low as 200 tons in recent years, down from around 3,000 tons in the 1960s, data compiled by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry show.

Amid the tight supply at home, Japan currently imports about half of the eels it consumes from Taiwan, China and South Korea, among other overseas suppliers.

Meanwhile, the ministry removed the “kunimasu” freshwater salmon from its red list because the species, which was believed to have inhabited only Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture, was also found in Lake Saiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, in 2010.

The loach was newly included on the red list due to concern that crossbreeding with foreign species and other factors may drive it to extinction.

 

Pheasants

January 29, 2012

The weather is clear, humidity low, and the air temperature comparable to the temperature in my fridge.  (“Hey, close the fridge door – all the warm air will escape!”)

Crystals of ice line the edges of the banks along the Azuma river, and a lone heron braves the cold, standing motionless in the water, looking for a meal.

Further along my commute, I encounter wintersweet trees in blossom, and the flowers of sazanqua.

 

The coldest days of winter should be behind us – my water pipes have frozen up twice this year, and we’ve had one major snowfall, but we still have more than a month of winter left.

 

Further along as I reach an area of market gardens, next to an abandoned house I hear an unfamiliar bird call.  I turn to see two birds in low flight.  The one to the rear is a dull mixture of brown and grey.  Had it been by itself, I wouldn’t be able to recognise it.  But the lead bird has a vivid blue neck, bright red on its head, and a green body. Even at more than 20 metres I immediately know what it is.

A pair of green pheasants.

 

The birghtly coloured male green pheasant. You can see where it gets it English name. Photo taken from Wikipedia.

 

The female is dully coloured, which greatly increases her chances of not being discovered by predetors and hunters.

 

The green pheasant is Japan’s national bird.  (Odd that the Japanese, who love the crane so much, choose a game bird closely related to the chicken…) 

Known locally as kiji (雉or雉子), it is one of two endemic pheasants – the other being the copper pheasant (Syrmaticus soemmerringii) or yamadori (山鳥).

The name “kiji” is thought to be derived from “kigisu” and “kigishi”, which in turn appear to be a combination of the sound of the bird’s call (“kigi”) and an old Korean word for bird (“su” or “shi”)

The scientific community is still divided as to whether the green pheasant is subspecies of the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus versicolor) or a separate species of its own (Phasianus versicolor).  Those who take the latter view divide it into four subspecies.

Common pheasants have been introduced into Japan, and they can, to some extent, successfully breed with green pheasants.  Common pheasants are also found outside the green pheasant’s range, e.g. Hokkaido.

 

Green Pheasants are found from Honshu through to Kyushu, primarily in forests, river banks and grasslands.  They feed mainly on seeds, buds and leaves, but insects and spiders are also eaten.

They breed from spring to early summer, with males competing for territory.  Nests are simple affairs, shallow holes dug in the ground and lined with dead leaves and grass.  Typically 6-12 eggs are laid.  Care of the eggs and chicks is carried out entirely by the female, and males may have several mates.

(I have seen birds with chicks in tow rush through the undergrowth in summer and wondered if they are pheasants.  Researching for this entry leads me to believe so.)

 

Green pheasants are poor flyers, but have been clocked running at 32 km/hour.

 

I was surprised at the lack of obvious folklore surrounding the green pheasant.  Apart from being a character in the folk tale Momotaro, references in some poems and songs, and appearing on the former ￥10,000 note, the green pheasant is best known is as a food source.  The flat udon-like noodles popular around Nagoya are said to have originally been served with pheasant meat, hence the name “kishimen”, and peasants cooking pheasant (try saying that quickly 5 times!) on their spades are said to be the origin of sukiyaki.

 

Male (left) and female (right) green pheasants on the font face of the previous series of 10,000 yen notes.

 

Hokusai’s 1833 “Pheasant and Snake”

 

Curiously, pheasants are believed to by extra-sensitive to earthquakes, and may be able to give warning (by a few seconds) of tremors and quakes.

 

When summer arrives, I’ll be on the lookout for pheasant chicks.