The photo is of the Nanjamonja flowers taken at Matsue Jozan Park in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. Nanjamonja is indeed the name of the flower. On Shimane Prefecture’s homepage, there is a headline that reads, “Early summer snow? ‘Nanja Monja’ (Matsue Shiroyama Park),” and followed by “It’s pleasant and cheerful. It lifts your spirits and makes you want to go out and admire the flowers. I would like to introduce Nanjamonja, which decorates Matsue Shiroyama Park with pure white flowers at this time of year when the cherry blossoms have fallen”. Additionally, Route 66 in Toki City, Gifu Prefecture, is called the “Tono Nanjamonja Kaido” (Eastern-Tono Nanjamonja Highway), and this highway is lined with Nanjamonja trees. However, the truth is that there is no tree called Nanjamonja. In every region, according to local legends and literature, trees that were not well-known or unfamiliar, such as camphor trees, paulownia trees, alder trees, and goldenrain trees, were given the name “Nanjamonja” and referred to as such. Among them, the representative tree called “Hitotsubatago” (single-leaf fat-sia) is mentioned as the one called “Nanjamonja.” The tree in the photo is also a Hitotsubatago. Hitotsubatago has recently been seen in various places, but originally, it was found only in limited areas such as the Kiso River basin spanning Nagano, Gifu, and Aichi prefectures, and Tsushima City in Nagasaki Prefecture. Hitotsubatago is famous as a rare species. It is designated as Endangered II on the Red List issued by the Ministry of the Environment, and it is designated as a natural monument by the country and some prefectures. It’s such a rare tree, truly deserving of the name Nanjamonja.
On May 1st, known as May Day, it is celebrated as the festival of workers worldwide. Also referred to as International Workers’ Day, it entails marches and gatherings where workers demonstrate the power of unity and demand labor improvements. In Japan, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (known as RENGO) holds a central assembly in Tokyo and regional assemblies across the country. While many countries observe it as a holiday, OECD member states such as Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Denmark do not. Although there have been discussions about making it a holiday in Japan, it has not been enacted due to concerns about overlapping with other holidays, such as forming the ‘Golden Week’ around this time and the existence of ‘Labor Thanksgiving Day’ on November 23rd. In Japan, there was an active labor movement shortly after the war, but in recent years, the significance of May Day has diminished as the nation all has become a salaried workforce.
The Southern Japan Newspaper reports that the marronnier flowers, adorning the streets of early summer, are now in full bloom. When we hear ‘marronnier trees,’ we immediately think of the famous Champs-Élysées, a tree-lined avenue stretching approximately 3 km from the Place de la Concorde with its obelisk to the Place Charles de Gaulle with the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Marronnier flowers, much like cherry blossoms in Japan, represent Paris. While still relatively rare in Japan, they are gradually gaining popularity. One immediately recalls ‘Under the Marronnier Tree’ upon hearing about marronnier trees. This song, a masterpiece of Japanese continental tango, became wildly popular when Matsushima Utako sang it in 1937. Originally intended to be performed by a band at a comfort meeting for families of soldiers departing for war at Asakusa Public Hall during wartime, the arrival of the band was delayed due to repeated air raid warnings. In a rush, someone said to Matsushima, ‘You used to be a music teacher, right? You can play the piano. Play and sing.’ Thus, Matsushima performed an impromptu solo performance. The audience was enchanted by the rare sight of a solo performance at the time, combined with Matsushima’s heartfelt singing. Since then, ‘Under the Marronnier Tree’ became the first solo song in the world of popular music. Matsushima Utako hailed from Yanai City in Yamaguchi Prefecture and participated in NHK’s Red and White Song Battle from the first to the eleventh editions (missing the second edition due to a traffic accident). Matsushima Utako was also the first to perform ‘Desert of the Moon.’ In Yanai City, there is the ‘Matsushima Utako Memorial Hall,’ and in its garden stands a monument dedicated to ‘Under the Marronnier Tree.’
It seems that this year, the blooming of wisteria is two weeks earlier everywhere. The same goes for Yamafuji, which can often be seen in the mountainous areas of Kyushu and Shikoku, but usually it is in full bloom around the holidays in May, but this year it seems to be in full bloom early. The wisteria seen at famous wisteria spots across the country is mostly cultivated wisteria, but the wild wisteria native to Japan can only be found in remote areas. The photo was taken during a pilgrimage to the Shikoku 88 Temples about five or six years ago during the Golden Week in May, and it was blooming abundantly, covering the surrounding trees like a wisteria waterfall. Cultivated wisteria is well-maintained everywhere and elegant, but wild wisteria has the ruggedness of a wild warrior. Its fragrance is so intense that it surpasses that of cultivated wisteria, but its unique sweet scent softens its intensity, almost rivaling the fragrance of roses. Humans have had a relationship with wisteria since the Jomon period, and its vines have been widely used, from buildings to furniture, furnishings, and clothing.
I received the horse mackerel from a fisherman for 500 yen. At first, they said they didn’t need money and offered it to me for free, but I felt bad about that, so I insisted on leaving 500 yen even though they refused. The horse mackerel looks delicious with its fresh, fatty appearance right after being caught. There are plenty of butterburs growing on the nearby mountain, still a bit slender but soft and with a good butterbur flavor, so I picked only as much as I could eat for now. While they say ‘dumplings over flowers,’ both cherry blossoms and wisteria are delightful, yet nothing beats the freshness of spring food. They often say appetite peaks in autumn, but I think it’s not a bad idea to call it ‘appetite of spring.’ I’m contemplating how to cook the horse mackerel and butterburs today, but I’m also worried about not gaining weight.
I received a photo of Tachitsubo violets from Akita. Unlike common violets, which have leaves directly from the roots, Tachitsubo violets grow stems that rise above the ground, and when the stems elongate, leaves sprout there, which is their characteristic feature. Additionally, their flowers are a light purple color. Tachitsubo violets are widely distributed from Hokkaido to the Ryukyu Islands, and outside Japan, from southern Korea to southern China. They can be found in various places such as fields, mountain forests, roadside in urban areas, parks, suburban groves, and even along irrigation channels. Although common violets are more dominant in urban areas, Tachitsubo violets are considered the largest among Japanese violets in terms of population. Even in Tokyo’s well-known Mount Takao, where many types of violets are found, Tachitsubo violets are overwhelmingly abundant. Near my home, I often see Akane violets, which have a reddish-dark purple color. It’s quite endearing to see them bravely blooming in small gaps between concrete along roadsides or in tiny crevices in sidewalks made of bricks.
The cherry blossom represents spring, but the wisteria, too, blooms abundantly across Japan, rivaling the cherry blossom. The history of wisteria cultivation is ancient, and expressions admiring garden wisteria can be found even in the Manyoshu anthology. There are two main types of wisteria: Yamafuji and Nodafuji. Yamafuji is native to Japan, and at some point in history, Nodafuji likely originated from Yamafuji. The way their vines twist differs: Yamafuji vines twist counterclockwise, while Nodafuji vines twist clockwise. Most wisteria seen today are Nodafuji, so when people refer to wisteria, they usually mean Nodafuji. The name was given by Dr. Tomitaro Makino, who named it after seeing wisteria in Nishi Ward, Osaka City. Wisteria attractions are now found throughout Japan, attracting foreign tourists just like cherry blossoms. The great wisteria tree at Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi Prefecture, often likened to the “Tree of Souls” from the movie “Avatar,” was selected as one of CNN’s “10 Dream Destinations for 2014” from Japan in January 2014. The popularity of wisteria among foreigners surged with the spread of images of the wisteria tunnel at Kawachi Fujien in Kitakyushu City on the web. Other famous wisteria attractions include the “Ushijima Wisteria” in Saitama Prefecture known for its nine-meter-long wisteria, the “Wisteria Shelf Road” in Hidakagawa Town, Wakayama Prefecture, which boasts the longest wisteria shelf in Japan and Fuji in Wake Town, Okayama Prefecture, which has the largest variety in Japan. There are countless other famous wisteria spots throughout Japan.
During the late Muromachi period, at its peak, Negoro-ji Temple, located in Iwade City, Wakayama Prefecture, formed a major religious center with as many as 450 (some sources claim 2,700) priests’ residences. It held a vast temple estate of 720,000 koku and boasted a military force of over 10,000 warrior monks known as the Negoro Warriors. The sacred precinct of Negoro-ji, including the picturesque Seiten Pond, reflects the fallen cherry blossoms this year. Negoro-ji was founded by Kakuban, a monk from Mount Koya in the late Heian period. Kakuban, considered a learned monk following in the footsteps of Kukai, attempted to revive the faith at Mount Koya, which had declined at the time, and restore the teachings of the founder, Kukai. However, he was unable to achieve this and was driven out by the followers at Mount Koya, leading him to establish Negoro-ji at its current location. Subsequently, Negoro-ji grew into a major religious center as described earlier. In the era of the Warring States, not only warrior clans but also temples possessed numerous warrior monks. At that time, it was a monk of Negoro-ji who noticed the newly arrived matchlock gun on Tanegashima Island. They brought back the matchlock gun from Tanegashima and, using it as a model, had Sakai craftsmen produce the first matchlock gun in Japan. The matchlock gun quickly spread among the Warring States warlords, ultimately changing the course of Japanese history.
In the garden of an abandoned house in what is known as a marginally viable community, Shakunage (the rhododendrons) bloom gracefully. Carefully tended, their blossoms evoke memories of the kindness of the owner. The buzzing of bees breaks the silence of the surroundings. Shakunage is plant native not only to Nepal and Bhutan in the Asian continent but also to Japan. Introduced to the Western world from China by plant hunters in the mid-19th century, their beauty and grandeur astounded people of that time, leading to numerous hybridizations. Over 5000 horticultural varieties have been developed worldwide, becoming an indispensable part of Western gardens as flowering trees that adorn spring. Some of these varieties have been reintroduced to Asia and Japan, sometimes referred to as ‘Western Shakunage’ Compared to the native Japanese species, they grow faster and are easier to cultivate. Moreover, they boast vibrant colors and lavishness, earning them titles like the ‘Queen of Flowers’ or the ‘Queen of the Mountains.’
