- Aug 1, 2020
- 8 min
Of beauty and blood: Camellia, the other floral icon of Japan
#camellia #camelliajaponica #plants #japaneseculture #japantravel #yamaguchi #kyushu #kurume #tohoku #iwate #akirakurosawa #japanesemovie Camellias are such a common garden plant throughout much of temperate and subtropical Australia that many of us would not even bother to stop and take a good look at one. In Japan, however, it is a tree that is as much celebrated as the renowned cherry blossoms as a harbinger of spring. Camellia species are evergreen trees and shrubs found
- Jul 24, 2020
- 6 min
Not just a ‘designer plant’: Miscanthus, the grass that nurtured Japanese society and culture
#miscanthus #plants #ornamentalgrasses #designerplants #gardendesign #japaneseculture #sustainableagriculture #organicgardening #satoyama Varieties of the ornamental grass miscanthus have become a coveted ‘designer plant’ around the world in recent years. The graceful habit and fine texture of miscanthus add interest to any style of garden, be it formal, cottage, woodland, Asian, Mediterranean or xeriscape (arid). The ever-changing mood of the grass through its growth cycle—f
- Jul 19, 2020
- 7 min
Festival fervour and warm hospitality in the frozen north: a winter journey in Akita
#japantravel #tohoku #akita #japaneseculture #japanesefestivals #japanesefood #seafood #rice #flourless #potato For a small island nation one-twentieth the size of Australia, it never ceases to amaze me that I still manage to find so many interesting destinations in regional areas of Japan that I hadn’t previously discovered in my three decades of travelling there. More astounding, perhaps, is that regional cultures are so varied depending on where you are in Japan—a result o
