2011/04/12
Rigen Kinoshita (1886-1925), a poet who had a high regard for nature, penned this piece: "The sky-blue flowers bloomed on the sunny roadside as soon as they sensed the warmth of the soil around their roots." And here's another: "Little sky blue flowers on the wayside close up one by one as the late afternoon wind turns chilly."
I'm sure people who love plants can tell immediately what these "sky-blue flowers" are. They are "o-inu no fuguri"---literally, "big dog's testicles."
I said in this column some time ago that this is a horrible name. But I received a letter from a reader who pointed out, "It's the name that's made this plant familiar to many people." While its flowers are anything but showy, they obviously have many fans.
Small and adorable, they bloom in early spring when the air is still wintry. Each flower has four petals, the color of the sky in spring. The center of the flower is white, which almost reminds me of a toddler's bright, wide eyes.
According to an essay by botanist Takemasa Osada, some people who took pity on this plant for its terrible name once suggested that it be changed to Hoshi no Hitomi or "starry eye." But Osada disagreed, noting, "Such a name is phony because it seems too pretty, and it doesn't match the plant's endearingly down-to-earth personality." A name is only a name, but coming up with a good name is never easy.
In Tokyo, cherry boughs are now heavy with blossoms. But when you lower your gaze to the ground and bend down for a closer look, you see another face of spring in many wild flowers. The understated grace of yellow dandelions and deep blue violets in clusters forms a perfect counterpoint to the breathtaking grandeur of blooming cherries. We humans owe those wild flowers an apology for arbitrarily dismissing them as "weeds."
Here's a haiku by Yasuko Nagashima: "A fishing port/ Ropes and violets and children." I picture a mild spring afternoon scene when the sea is calm.
"Year in, year out, the flowers look the same," goes an old Japanese saying. But this spring, everyone has been made painfully conscious of the impermanence of life. I now realize I am being consoled by wild flowers swaying peacefully in a soft breeze.
--The Asahi Shimbun, April 10
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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
I'm sure people who love plants can tell immediately what these "sky-blue flowers" are. They are "o-inu no fuguri"---literally, "big dog's testicles."
I said in this column some time ago that this is a horrible name. But I received a letter from a reader who pointed out, "It's the name that's made this plant familiar to many people." While its flowers are anything but showy, they obviously have many fans.
Small and adorable, they bloom in early spring when the air is still wintry. Each flower has four petals, the color of the sky in spring. The center of the flower is white, which almost reminds me of a toddler's bright, wide eyes.
According to an essay by botanist Takemasa Osada, some people who took pity on this plant for its terrible name once suggested that it be changed to Hoshi no Hitomi or "starry eye." But Osada disagreed, noting, "Such a name is phony because it seems too pretty, and it doesn't match the plant's endearingly down-to-earth personality." A name is only a name, but coming up with a good name is never easy.
In Tokyo, cherry boughs are now heavy with blossoms. But when you lower your gaze to the ground and bend down for a closer look, you see another face of spring in many wild flowers. The understated grace of yellow dandelions and deep blue violets in clusters forms a perfect counterpoint to the breathtaking grandeur of blooming cherries. We humans owe those wild flowers an apology for arbitrarily dismissing them as "weeds."
Here's a haiku by Yasuko Nagashima: "A fishing port/ Ropes and violets and children." I picture a mild spring afternoon scene when the sea is calm.
"Year in, year out, the flowers look the same," goes an old Japanese saying. But this spring, everyone has been made painfully conscious of the impermanence of life. I now realize I am being consoled by wild flowers swaying peacefully in a soft breeze.
--The Asahi Shimbun, April 10
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
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