Thar She Glows! Fireflies (蛍) Make a Strong Comeback Not Far From Tsukuba Center – Watch Them Now (at the end of June) when they are at their best!
By Avi Landau
Getting around Tsukuba ON FOOT can sometimes pay off. Even at night, when its raining! Two years ago, after having been stood up for an appointment near Tsukuba University, I headed for home on foot. There was a slight drizzle which soon turned into a steady shower. I was heading East, and the narrow rice-paddied valley along the banks of the Hanamuro River is almost completely shielded from any light. It was like walking into a bygone age. I crossed the river and the croaking of the frogs turned from a hum into an almost deafening roar. I realized that the farmers must be making rice for THEIR OWN CONSUMPTION on this side of the valley and using LESS PESTICIDES. Thus the abundance of LIVING CREATURES. Turning southward along the field I was startled by a delicate streak of dancing light! I stopped in my tracks even though I was getting wetter by the minute. A spot of light and then more streaks here and there filled me with the thrill of discovering a species long thought extinct. There were wild fireflies (hotaru,蛍) here!
Two summers LATER, the shiny critters can surprisingly still be seen at the same spot. The reason it is surprising is that there has been some home construction in the area and I was worried that the purity of the area had been disturbed. Last night, cycling back home I found myself passing through a gentle swirl of streaking lights. I stopped for a while to enjoy and will surely be back, at night, several times before the season is over!
Older Japanese fondly remember the abundant fireflies, which before the widespread use of agricultural chemicals (especially those sprayed from helicopters by local governments), would delight them each rainy season. Catching fireflies in a jar was once one of the most popular and memorable childhood games of summer. Now children have to be taken to special parks or institutes which artificially breed the light-making insects. Fees are charged and large crowds make the setting highly commercialized.
There are two main types of fireflies in Japan. The larger type is the Genji-botaru and the smaller one the Heike-botaru (they are named after the two warring clans of the late Heian Period which in English we refer to as the Minamoto and the Taira).To tell the truth,Im not sure which types the ones I found are.
There are dozens of great poems inspired by the firefly with many going back to the Manyoshu, the great collection of poems compiled in the Nara and Early Heian Periods.
Of course, it is possible to see wild fireflies at a few places in Japan and even in Tsukuba City (on Mt Tsukuba for instance). It was exciting however to find that the little love sick bugs might be making a comeback with walking distance of Tsukuba Center.
If you’d like more details about where to go Hotaru viewing, contact me. I will try to get a map with details posted soon.
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TACHI AOI (立葵) and why the Mito Hollyhock Soccer team is INCORRECTLY named ! ( Tsukublog exclusive)
By Avi Landau
In the summer months, you cannot help but notice clusters of tachi-aoi (hollyhock) growing wild on the sides of country roads or beside vegetable patches. You can’t miss them because of their height. As tall as sunflowers but not as heavy looking, they are graceful yet imposing and come in red, white and pink blossoms which bloom up and down their long, lean stems.
It is my interest in these very common, uncelebrated flowers that led me to the discovery of a curious state of affairs in the world of Japanese-English translation — especially in regard to the names of certain plants.
Knowing these roadside flowers to be tachi-aoi (立葵) and confirming that the same flowers were called hollyhock in English, I tried to learn more about their history and cultural associations. At first I was surprised that the ancient Aoi Matsuri Festival (葵祭), one of the most famous in all of Japan, was often referred to in English language guidebooks and textbooks as the HOLLYHOCK FESTIVAL.
I also discovered that the J-League 2 soccer club, which represents the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, was called The Mito Hollyhock. This name was chosen because the crest of the great Tokugawa Family which ruled the Mito Domain for centuries consisted of 3 futaba-aoi leaves. This crest has been made extremely famous by the classic TV series Mito Komon. The Wikipedia article on hollyhock also said that that flower ( the hollyhock) was the symbol of the Mito Clan.
At first I was excited. These flowers that I ALONE seemed to be interested in, appeared to have highly distinguished historical and cultural associations. I wanted to write about this.
Luckily , before I commited anything to paper, I started to dig further.
I did this because I still had lingering doubts about the connection between aoi ( of the ancient festival and of the Mito Clan) and tachi-aoi ( the common roadside flower). I had been to the Aoi Matsuri and seen that the Aoi associated with that festival was a leaf of some sort. I had even taken one as a souvenir and kept it in my wallet., Also the seal of the Mito Clan consisted of 3 leaves (representing the 3 branches of the Tokugawa Family).
After comparing them, I found that the leaves on the Mito Crest and the aoi leaf in my wallet looked NOTHING like the leaves of the hollyhock (tachi-aoi).Photos in field guides also showed me that tachi-aoi was the roadside flower, but I could find no pictures of aoi in any bookstore flower guide.
To make a long story short, I became slightly obsessed with getting to the bottom of this mystery. At the library I was able to confirm that the scientific name of tachi-aoi(hollyhock) was Althaae rosea , and that the symbol of the Mito Tokugawa and of the Aoi Matsuri was a plant with NO COMMON ENGLISH NAME but known as Asarum caulescens among botanists, and as futaba-aoi among the Japanese (see photo. These two plants have NO CONNECTION other than being PLANTS and having the character aoi (葵)in their names.
Finally, I went to the Tsukuba Botanical Garden to consult with Dr. Tadamu Matsumoto. He was also astonished that the Mito Soccer team had been called Hollyhock, as there was no botanical connection between futaba-aoi (the highly esteemed leaves on Mito Komon’s emblem) and the common roadside tachi-aoi (hollyhock).
There is obviously a big problem with translation when dealing with the names of plants which are not familiar to the translators. These types of errors occur not only in Wikipedia and blogs but also in respected journals, dictionaries and encyclopedias. I fell victim to such a mistaken translation when writing about the Boy’s Day (Tango No Sekku) traditions in Japan (Tango no Sekku over the Ages).
In my article I mistakenly wrote that the Japanese put irises(the Japanese term is shobu 菖蒲） in their baths and on their roofs on that day. I had gotten this translation from very respectable source books. However, I later realized that the shobu used is NOT an iris (hana-shobu) at all but a completely unrelated plant called CALAMUS (related to taro) by botanists and which was believed by the ancient Chinese and Japanese to have the power to expel evil and bad luck.
For me hollyhocks are amazing flowers and are worthy of having a soccer team named after them. But I’m sure that the citizens of Mito would not be pleased to learn that their team is named after the TACHI-AOI and NOT the revered FUTABA-AOI.
It’s like calling the Seibu Baseball club The Azarashi (sea lions) instead of The Lions. Why not? They are both mammals!
Hollyhock (tachi-aoi) in front of a home in Tsukuba`s Hanamuro neighborhood
Postscript:
The day after I wrote and posted this piece, I chanced upon what might be the actual source (or very near it) of the misuse of the English flower name hollyhock as used to represent futaba-aoi leaves used in the Aoi Matsuri Festival and in the crest of the Mito Tokugawa. I had a few minutes to spare before heading out for the day and I settled in a chair and browsed the books nearest to me.
There was Ivan Morris’ translation of the Makura no soshi (枕草子) in the Columbia University edition. Leafing through the text, I found Chapter 17, with the heading “Things That Arouse A Fine Memory Of the Past” on page 51. The first item listed was dried hollyhock. There it was. But could anyone understand this translation? I hurriedly looked for my Japanese version and found that the original text read “kareta aoi”, something quite different, even if the aoi referred to were hollyhock.
Morris’ translation implies something purposely dried, for medicine, or as an ingredient for food. What Sei Shonagon is referring to however is the discovery of the aoi leaves of some past festival which had been stashed away in somewhere as a keepsake and are discovered all dried out and withered bringing back memories of festivals past.
Morris actually made a footnote for his hollyhock translation on page 284 which reads from the sixth line: I am grateful to professor Cranston for pointing out (Harvard Journal Of Asiatic Studies vol.xxix p. 260) that the aoi used in the Kamo Festival is not althea rosa (hollyhock) but asarum caulescens, which is a form of snake weed or bistort with paired, flesh-colored flowers. A more accurate translation of Aoi Matsuri would therefore be Bistort Festival, BUT I TRUST BOTANISTS WILL NOT BE OFFENDED IF I CALL IT HOLLYHOCK FESTIVAL (emphasis mine)!
One of the legends of Japanese-English translation, can thus be found guilty in my opinion of being flippant about the simple naming of things. I guess he felt that hollyhock sounded nice. But since that actual flower (tachi aoi) is so common Morris’ legacy in this case can lead to embarrassing mistakes, such as hearing that the roadside flowers are hollyhock and then saying “Oh,those are the flowers used in the Aoi Matsuri”, or “That is the symbol of the Tokugawa Family!”
I am a great admirer of Morris’ work, but in this case I think he was WRONG. Let’s be more careful, everyone, and verify the plants and animals we are translating!
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What`s IN SEASON in Summer in Japan (again)
By Avi Landau
For a deeper understanding of Japanese culture, as well as a way of making your life in Japan more enjoyable, you should always be aware of the succession of KISETSU NO MONO (季節の物, things representative of the season), and always try to find out what fruits, vegetables and fish are SHUN (旬), or AT THEIR BEST.
As you have probably heard before, to be Japanese is to be sensitive to the continual flux of the seasons, and this is reflected in eating habits, dress, poetry, letterwriting, etc. Do not imagine that, in MODERN Japan, it is only at expensive restaurants and traditional tea ceremony parties where such season-consciousness lives on. A visit to any Japanese supermarket, bakery (!) or convenience store (conbini) also reveals how strong the traditional awareness still is with many of the goods on display being or containing KISETSU NO MONO and much of the produce being SHUN. This is in recognition of the fact that to this day many Japanese celebrate or acknowledge the time of year by eating in-season foods, decorating their homes with seasonal decorations, or doing season-linked activities.
As a foreign visitor you would want to use the word SHUN while at a sushi shop. ( the U here is proumounced as the OU is in the words SHOULD or COULD)
Ima wa nani ga shun desu ka?
What fish is in season?
Or at a Japanese sweet shop (wagashiya) you might want to ask for a KISETSU NO MONO — ima no kisetsu no mono wa nan desu ka? — since shun only refers to produce and not processed foods.
It is summer now in Japan so there is an abundance of things which are SHUN at the supermarket. Familiar to westerners are potatoes, cherries, watermelons, eggplants, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, etc.
In addition to these, there are now (in the middle of June) certain items which are SHUN which foreigners might not be familiar with and which for the Japanese are IMPORTANT symbols of the season. I will mention three of them here — ao ume (青梅, green plum), loquats (枇杷, biwa), and goya (bitter gourd).
Ao ume (pronounced something like awoome), is a powerful symbol of the season and if you don’t hurry to the supermarket you might not be able to find them as they are quickly snapped up by housewives bent on making a batch of sweet plum liquor (梅酒, ume shu), plum juice or the ubiquitous UME BOSHI (梅干し, salted plums).
These green plums, which are slightly smaller than ping-pong balls, are SO representative of the season that the character for plum (梅) is used for writing the word tsuyu (梅雨), Japan’s June rainy-season.
If you visit a Japanese family’s house this week you will very likely find a box of ao ume waiting to be salted or made into liquor. The plums have to be used before they ripen and turn yellow. You might be confused by the use of the character ao (青） which you have surely learnt means BLUE. In this case ao ume can best be translated as YOUNG UME, or UNDER-RIPE UME. Another baffling use of the word ao is in ao shingo, meaning green light. I guess in this case the ao is referring to the color of the plums!! Speaking of Shingo, the proprietor of the pub Gold Rush ( near Doho Park in Tsukuba) always has some interesting ume shu on hand with Zuisen from Okinawa being the most interesting, being made from awamori and Okinawan brown sugar.
Another fruit in season not very familiar to foreigners (sorry for being so Euro-Ameri-centric, as I realize that this might not be true for many non-western foreigners in Tsukuba), is the loquat, which is called biwa in Japanese, as its shape is suggestive of the biwa, or lute. Though most Japanese friends of mine say that they don’t really like biwa THAT much, they still usually buy a box every year to celebrate the season. If you want to try them be careful of the pits, as they will fill your mouth up more than the meat of the fruit! The number one loquat production areas in Japan are Nagasaki Prefecture and Boso Peninsula in Chiba, our neighbor to the south. Many Ibarakians also have them growing in their gardens. Mayumi Kamiyama, a friend of mine who grew up in Hojo (part of Tsukuba), told me an interesting story. She said that she has always heard that if you planted a loquat tree in your garden you would end up poor.
The reason for this is the generosity of Ibaraki farmers (a proud prefectural trait) who insist on giving away their vegetables. Since the leaves of the biwa tree are known for their medicinal powers (good for colds, sore throats, etc.) sick people would come far distances to get some leaves from your tree. Naturally you couldn’t let such a visitor from afar go away empty handed. You would have to supply them with plenty of omiyage (gifts) for the road. A procession of such guests would surely bankrupt any kind-hearted farmer!
And this year- 2011, the biwa trees are especially heavy-laden with fruit
Boxes of biwa are selling for about 300 yen at local stores, but you can pick up luxury boxes, much juicier-looking specimens usually purchased as an expensive summer gift, at Seibu Department Store for 3000 yen.
One more SHUN product currently available at stores around town is a newcomer. The goya, or bitter gourd is a popular vegetable in Okinawa. One reason it has gained popularity in the main Islands is that Okinawa has the highest life-expectancy in Japan (and in the world?) and the gourd, being a major part of the islanders diet has led to increased interest in its health-giving qualities. It is quite bitter and thus disliked by many, but perseverance will lead to an acquirement of its unique taste. There are many ways to prepare it, including the Okinawan way, in champuru or as chips and fritters.
It has also become quite common around Tsukuba to see GREEN WALLS made of goya- which are created by letting the bitter gourds` vines spread up and out over nets set up on the sides of houses with the most sun exposure. These can help keep houses cool and will probably be especially popular this year as people are trying to conserve electricity (i.e. by not use conditioning) .
Since Ibaraki is famous for its melons, you might want to pick one up too, as it is very SHUN at the moment.
Something else that has caught my eye this ye at convenience stores are the advertisements for a type of cherry called SATO-NISHIKI ( 佐藤錦). This very tasty ( sweet and sour) and beautiful variety was apparently developed by a Mr. Sato in Yamagata Prefecture in North-Eastern Japan from where they can now be ordered for about 4000 Yen per 600 grams!. And though imported ( and reasonably priced) cherries can be found at any supermarket it seems that there are still those who prefer fruit that is GROWN IN JAPAN no matter what the price. ( I have once tasted Sato Nishiki cherries I had recieved as a gift from Yamagata and found them delightful. Still, I would never fork out the forty bucks for a small box of them on my own.
As I said you can find plenty of alluring cherries at your local supermarket.
Enjoy your food shopping-and remember — always stay in tune with the season!
And for those interested, I have written a song inspired by the Japanese summer. Its called Mio Mine, and was recorded by The TenGooz. Have a listen here:
http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/12853
Someone trying to get a GREEN WALL going by letting GOYA (biitter gourd) grow up along a net
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That Screwy Flower- the Nejibana (捩花)!
A nejibana on the side of the road in Tsukuba (June 20,2011)
By Avi Landau
The summer greenery is overpowering. Big-blossomed, brightly colored flowers abound. Summer fashions are often eye-catching. That is why it takes a little extra effort to notice the little, sometimes wonderous, details which are often right at our very feet. In June and July, check the patches of grass along sidewalks or bordering parking lots, office buildings, etc., and you might very well find the very small, yet enchanting NEJIBANA (screw-flower, as translated directly) which derives its name from its unique shape- and is in fact a member of the orchid family (scientific name: Spiranthes sinensis)
The spiral can twist either clock-wise or counter-clockwise. Isn’t the world amazing! I took these photos near the police station at the TX Tsukuba Center Station.
Remember , while you’re taking in the big picture, stop and check for the usually unnoticed details.
Nejibana near Tsukuba Center ( June 20th 2011)
Nejibana are called ladies` tresses or pearl twists in English (Tsukuba- June 22, 2011)
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Hydrangea (AJISAI-紫陽花) in Japanese History and Culture (revisited)
Japan’s month long rainy season (tsuyu, 梅雨) usually ends in mid-July, and that means there are precious few days left to savor its SPECIAL BEAUTY. Many Japanese consider Ajisai (紫陽花, or hydrangea) to be the quintessential flower of this season, as they look just right when wet, and enshrouded in mist. And though these flowers can be found almost anywhere you turn your head in Tsukuba, thousands of Tsukubans make long trips (or should I say pilgrimages?) to famous ajisai temples, especially in Kamakura. Nearer to home there are 2 other nationally renowned hydrangea-viewing meccas, the Amabiki Kannon near Makabe, and the Taiho Hachiman Shrine in Shimotsuma. Both highly recommended at ANYTIME. All the more so in this season.
The flower has a long history in these islands and many scholars actually assert that it is indigenous to Japan and in fact introduced to China from here. After centuries of breeding, numerous varieties have been developed and new colors, pinks and whites, brought out. By taking a look at the etymology of the Japanese name AJISAI, we can see that in earlier times the flowers were mainly blue, as the sounds used to make up the name originally meant a GATHERING OF BLUES (aji-from atsu (集まる) or gather , and ai (藍), indigo blue.
Hydrangea have another Japanese name, however, nanahenge (七変化), or seven transformations, which derives from the flower’s unique characteristic. The colors of the petals change according to the chemical make-up of the soil! This feature has given the flower rich symbolic meaning in Japanese art and poetry — especially to represent a fickle and changing heart. It is because of this characteristic too, that hydrangea were shunned by the warrior class in the feudal period, because for them, changing colors, or by extension loyalties, was anathema .
For Westerners, however, hydrangea can be seen as a symbol of silent devotion, as its scientific name, otaksa, appears to refer to Otaki-San, a woman from Nagasaki’s pleasure quarter, who was the mistress of the German naturalist P.F. von Siebold, who went on to introduce ajisai to Europe .
One more point. These flowers are to be looked at and NOT EATEN. A couple of years ago, there was a nationally reported case of food poisoning which occurred down the road from my house in Tsukuba at the curious and pricey Italian restaurant Toeimon Sakae. The chef, in keeping with the season-conscious aesthetics of Japanese cooking(despite this being an Italian eatery), garnished a dish with the very IN SEASON leaves of hydrangea. These were subsequently consumed by the unsuspecting diners.
This resulted in what must have been an unforgettable scene, right out of Monty Python. You see, the leaves of ajisai have always been used to induce vomiting, especially when poisons were consumed. Imagine then, the eight customers wretching uncontrollably, spewing out their expensive dinners onto the antique furniture and tatami mats (this restaurant is in a magnificent thatched roof farm house!).Surprisingly,the penalty for this chef`s oversight was a mere one-day suspension of business.
While you’re out there enjoying the AJISAI DAYS remember: LOOK BUT DON’T TASTE.
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