KIRI • PAULOWNIA TOMENTOSA

The majestic Paulownia tomentosa tree welcoming visitors to the Japanese Garden is rich with
history and stories which makes it a wonderful place to begin a tour.

The use of Paulownia in Japan dates back to 200 AD. It is native to China where the custom of
planting the tree at the birth of a girl was initially reserved for the aristocracy and later for the
wealthy. From there it spread to Japan. The tree is a rapid grower, and the wood is harvested
to make a dowry box and other gifts when the daughter is to be married. Even today
(especially in Kyoto, Nara and Osaka), there remains a custom of sending over a kimono dresser
made of Paulownia wood with the bride as she settles into her new home.

Carving the wood of Paulownia is

an art form in Japan. It is the
lightest wood in Japan, soft and
warp-resistant. The wood is used
to make musical instruments like
the Japanese koto and
Korean gayageum zithers, and to
make geta (clogs). The wood is
burned to make charcoal for
sketching and powder for
fireworks, the bark is made into a
dye, and the leaves are used in
vermicide preparations. Its wood
cells are very porous which makes
it heat and fire resistant so is used
to line safes. Geisha used a
treated, dried Paulownia branch to
make up their eyebrows.

A single tree produces 20,000 seeds. The soft, lightweight seeds were commonly used as a
packing material by Chinese porcelain exporters in the 19th century. Packing cases would often
leak or burst open in transit causing seeds to scatter along rail tracks, creating many groves of
Paulownia.

THE TALE OF GENJI

During the Heian period (794-1192) in Japan, the color purple was considered a royal color.
Paulownia trees were planted at the Imperial palace. The Tale of Genji is the centerpiece of
Heian literature and Paulownia is an abiding presence in the novel. Prince Genji’s father was
called Emperor Paulownia (Kiritsubo-no-Mikado) and Genji's mother, who dies shortly after
Genji's birth, is the Lady of the Paulownia Court. The lavender hue of the flower is the color of
romantic attachment throughout the tale. That color is murasaki, the first name of Genji's author,
Murasaki Shikibu. Genji's adoptive daughter (and concubine!) is also called Murasaki.
 Paulownia were planted around Tameike Pond, an artificial
lake in the capital fed by an underground spring, early in the
Edo period. Hiroshige’s print, Akasaka Kiribatake, from 100
Views of Edo, dominated by the tree in the foreground, shows
the lake at dawn during the rainy season when the Paulownia
flowers come into bloom. In the background is the hill where
Hie Shrine, the traditional spiritual protector of Edo Castle
affectionately known as Sannō-san, stands.

Akasaka Kiribatake, Hiroshige

PAULOWNIA CREST

The Paulownia Seal originally was the private

symbol of the Japanese Imperial Family, from as
early as the twelfth century. The Toyotomi clan,
who ruled Japan before the Edo period, adopted
the Paulownia Seal for use as the crest of its clan.
Now it is the seal for the government of Japan and
used in official documents.

鳴蝉も連てふはりと一葉哉

naku semi mo tsurete fuwari to hito ha kana

with a singing cicada

softly...
one leaf falls

Kobayashi Issa

The phrase, "one leaf" (hito ha), specifically denotes a paulownia leaf in the shorthand of haiku.
 Mōsō-chiku & Sasa ● Phyllostachys and Pleioblastus

In our garden we have two plant species, Phyllostachys and Pleioblastus. The first is a large plant
by the ticket booth and the other one is dwarf bamboo located in several places along the fence.

Bamboo can also be seen in

its supporting role in the
garden. Notice the water
feature in the tea garden,
curved hoops along the path,
and its use in the construction
of a gate and fencing.
Bamboo adds a gentle rustling sound and moving shadows to a garden. The 17th century writer
Ji-Chen’s in the “Craft of Gardens” said bamboos should be planted “where the moonlight is dim
and faint, because in this way you can increase the mystery of the place and engulf yourself in
even deeper emotions.” He recommended that 4/5ths of every garden be planted with bamboo.

Bamboo represents resilience and flexibility. “Bamboo

mentality” means making compromises and eventually to go
forward unbroken from all contests. The hollow stalk symbolizes
tolerance and open mindedness.

Bamboo is a subject for poetry, storytelling and an object for ink

painting. In the Heian poetry lexicon, bamboo segments evoke
the image of generations. There was even a school of bamboo
artists. An 11c bamboo artist instructed his pupils to “realize” the
whole plant, rather than with details and to “move the brush....as
the buzzard swoops when the hare jumps out.”

“The Tale of Bamboo Cutter” by Taketori Monogatari is a beloved children’s story written in
the 10c. It details the life of a mysterious girl called Kaguya, who was discovered as a baby
inside the stalk of a glowing bamboo plant.

Bamboo is the most versatile of Asian plants. It grows at a fast pace, often as much as a meter a
day, and stops growing in a month. Over 1400 uses have been listed for bamboo. Bamboo is
used in all sorts of construction projects such as, flooring, water pipes, furniture, thatch, kitchen
utensils, musical instruments, fishing rods, rope, baskets, sleeping mats, and chopsticks. It is a
source of pulp for paper and textiles. The city of Osaka is traditionally known for the
manufacture of many kinds of excellent bamboo products, especially baskets. At the time of a
severe earth quake, bamboo forests are considered safe ground because of the matted root
structure.

The bamboo shoots are edible just as it peeks out of the ground. Bamboo can also be fermented
or pickled. Sweet rice dumplings chimaki are wrapped in bamboo sheaths and served on
Children’s day. The sheaths are also used to make footwear and hats. The sheath has moisture
retaining structure and sterilizing power.

There are many Japanese sayings and proverbs about bamboo:

• Dream of bamboo and a friend dies
• It is a bad year when a bamboo dies, i.e. - Bamboo dies after it flowers
• Like splitting a bamboo, i.e. - meaning frankness
• An old man is someone who has seen the bamboo flower twice
 Tsubaki ● Camellia
Camellia is a Genus of over 250 species of long-lived evergreen shrubs and small trees. More
than 10,000 cultivars are known. They are found in acidic soil in woodland areas from N. India
and the Himalayas to China and Japan, Taiwan, Southern Korea and South to North Indonesia,
Java and Sumatra.

Camellia japonica/tsubaki 椿、藪椿 -The oldest record of camellia is about 1900 years old.
The book on camellias was published during Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in China. In Japan,
Camellia japonica was taken up by the samurai in the 12th century and was much further
developed in the Edo period. The Higo clan in Kyushu was very interested in them and it was
they who introduced Camellia sasanqua in to cultivation in the 17th century.

Camellia japonica blooms from the end of winter to spring. It is used as a shade tree, in hedges
and parks and in flower arrangement. Ohshima Island, off the coast of Izu Peninsula is famous
for camellia. Some camellia trees on the island are more than 400 years old. There is also an
excellent camellia garden there. The seeds of Camellia japonica are crashed to make camellia oil.
In Amakusa, Kyushu camellia oil is produced on a large scale and is best suited for the hair of
both men and women, except that it contains a weak acid and perfume cannot be mixed with it.
But the quality is better than that of sesame oil and olive oil, so if the acid is removed from it, it
will have a bright future as a base for modern cosmetics.

一つ落ちて 二つ落ちたる 椿かな 子規 shiki

One fell,-- Two fell,-- Camellias

椿花落了 春日為之動遙
Camellia flower fell, Spring day became unstable

The best haiku and Chinese poems on the camellia are concerned with the falling flowers. In
Japan the fact that the flowers are prone to fall from the tree in one piece, evoked comparison
with the sudden decapitation which was the fate of many warriors and when leaving for war,
they were advised to avoid the contact with the camellias. Even now to bring camellia flower to
the hospital is also avoided.

白椿落つる音のみ月夜かな 蘭更 rankou
All the evening the only sound,
The falling, Of the white camellia flowers

The specimen in the new display garden built in 2009 as part of the new gate house village, is a
western introduction, Camellia japonica ‘Nuccio’s jewel’; a medium sized and slow growing
shrub with soft washed, pink flowers that bloom in mid to late season.
Pictures by Aleksandra Monk

Camellia sasanqua ｻｻﾞﾝｶ is planted for its attractive late autumn to early winter flowers. The
seeds yield tea-seed oil (katashi abura) which, like oil from Camellia japonica is used as a hair
setting oil and occasionally for cooking . There are seven Camellia sasanqua bushes in the
Seattle Japanese Garden.

Camellia sinensis cha（茶）、cha-no-ki (茶の木)

is an evergreen plant of the Camellia genus. That is
sub-divided into two main subspecies known as
Camellia sinensis var. sinensis, the variety that
originally found growing in China and Camellia
sinensis var. Assamica, the plant that grows as a
native of India’s south-eastern province of Assam.
Our plant was dedicated to Ms. Kathleen Smith in
2006. She was a volunteer gardener and guide from
1989 to 2006.

The leaves are used for tea. In 805, Buddhist monk Saicho (最澄) brought back tea seeds from
China and planted them at a place called Sakamoto (坂元) at the foot of Mt. Hiei (比叡). But it
was not until 1191 when tea cultivation in Japan took hold. Zen Buddhist monk Eisai (栄西)
brought back not only the Zen Buddhism but also tea culture from China. He brought back tea
seeds and he gave them to Myoue Shonin(明恵上人)a monk from kousanji temple (高山寺) in
togano’o, (梅尾) Kyoto(京都).. The tea seeds were planted near the temple, and this was the
beginning of famous tea of Uji (宇治). Tea was used as medicine then, also to keep the Buddhist
monks awake during meditation.
 Ichō  Ginkgo biloba

The genus Ginkgo is a living link between the

lower and higher plants. Ginkgo biloba, the only
remaining species, is known in English as ginkgo
– and as ichō in Japanese. It’s a deciduous tree
characterized by large seeds, long life, and
endurance over millions of years. We’re
fortunate to have three tall, elegant specimens in
the Seattle Japanese Garden. They bring to the
garden ancient history, uniquely beautiful leaves
& glowing fall color – thus subtly evoking
Tokyo’s renowned Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue.
Our 3 ginkgo trees displaying their butter-yellow fall
color

In China – and later, Korea and Japan – ginkgo was originally

valued for the edibility of its seeds, known in Japan as ginnan.
Their foul-smelling coating was removed, and the nutlike kernel
that remained was soaked and/or roasted. This process reduced the
concentration of a toxin present in the raw seeds. They were eaten
plain – or used in sweet as well as savory dishes – and remain a
popular food in eastern Asia. Ginkgo seeds, and products derived
from them, were also used as oils for lighting & heating, in rituals,
and in traditional medicine. Compounds from the seeds were used
to treat cavities, skin conditions and respiratory illnesses. Even in
the present day, ginkgo compounds are used to treat coughs, asthma
and bladder infections.

Left, a man harvesting ginkgo nuts; woodblock print by Ohara Koson, 1910. Above, ginkgo leaves & fruit.
 In addition to the importance of its seeds, ginkgo’s fan-
shaped leaf is beautiful and unique, and lends itself to
stylization. In eastern Asia, it became a recognizable
motif. This motif was especially important in Japan,
where it emerged in paintings and poetry, and in the
designs of family crests (kamon). By the 17th century, it
appeared on swords and ceramics – and later, on buckles,
jewelry, kimono and other textiles. More subtle
examples abound. The tool used to pluck the strings of
the shamisen (a traditional musical instrument) is shaped
like a ginkgo leaf, as are the topknots (oichomage) of
sumo wrestlers.

The "T" that symbolizes the prefecture of

Tokyo looks like a ginkgo leaf

Ginkgos have long been valued as survivors. They

are deep-rooted and tolerant of adverse conditions –
including wind, pollution and fire. They produce
chemicals that deter insects, and are also resistant to
damage by bacteria, viruses and fungi. Individual
trees are long-lived, and old specimens are very
large. With time, trees reach 50 to 100 feet in
height, and may spread wider, becoming massive in
their girth. There is strong evidence that some
ginkgos in Asia have attained an age of 1,000 years
Giant ginko tree, Zenpuku-ji Temple, Minato, or more.
Tokyo

Ginkgo trees survived the 1923 Kanto earthquake and the 1945 atomic attack on Hiroshima.
Several trees were less than 1½ miles from the epicenter. Their bark was scorched and their
branches stripped away. A nearby temple was destroyed. Incredibly, the ginkgo trees survived
and leafed out the following spring. Because of this toughness and adaptability, ginkgos succeed
under difficult urban conditions and are commonly planted as street trees – including here in
Seattle. They make up about 11% of Japanese street trees, reflecting their importance in Japan as
ornamental plants – in addition to the practical and cultural utility of their products and images.

Within the last 200 years, ginkgo trees have been grown successfully under a wide range of
climatic & soil conditions. Outside of Asia, they are grown primarily as ornamentals. Males are
preferred, because they rarely (and then only in very small numbers) produce the malodorous
seeds characteristic of female trees. Propagated from cuttings to ensure maleness, they are
planted in gardens throughout the temperate world – and are still the subject of autumn haiku.

stealing color
from the sun
autumn ginkgo [haiku by Cara Homan, 2012]
 Hinoki  Chamaecyparis obtusa

Among the many conifers in the Seattle

Japanese Garden is Chamaecyparis obtusa,
formerly classified as Retinospora obtusa. It
grows in various areas of our garden, notably
in Area G, where this photo was taken. Native
to central and southern Japan, it is known
there as hinoki (i.e., “cypress”) – hence its
English common name, hinoki false cypress.
One of Japan’s most significant trees, it has
been revered there for centuries for its
beautiful, durable wood and the fragrant
essential oils of its bark, wood and foliage.

Hinoki false cypress in the Seattle Japanese Garden.

With a rich, straight grain – and resistance to splitting, warping and rot –
Chamaecyparis obtusa has been an indispensable building material in Japan
for many centuries. Important in civil engineering and the construction of
shrines and temples, it was also used to make many other products of daily
life. These include sculptures, fragrant tubs for bathing, and implements
such as tools, combs, fans and sake cups. Even after being cut, its durability
continues to increase for about 200 years.

Chamaecyparis obtusa wood is still

used in construction today, but
primarily in high end items because of
its expense. Products include
sculpture, bathtubs, furniture and
flooring. The luster, high durability
and distinctive fragrance of the wood
enhances people’s enjoyment of
products made from it.

Woodblock print of a woman climbing into a bathtub, probably made of fragrant hinoki wood. A statue of Zen
Buddhist monk Shinchi Kakushin, made of hinoki wood and lacquer.
Hinoki’s long usefulness has led to its loss in the wild, where it is considered an endangered
species. Rare throughout its traditional range, it exists only in remnant stands. Nevertheless,
planted trees are very common today in Japan – in plantations for harvesting, and as an
ornamental plant in parks and gardens. Very large specimens are planted at temples, shrines and
shrine plantations, but are otherwise uncommon. Such centuries-old trees may exceed 150 feet.

Hinoki false cypress has been important in Japanese history, life and culture not simply for its
usefulness – and has long been valued for its warm, woody fragrance and for its spiritual and
healing properties. It was one of three trees the Shinto religion viewed as sacred – the flowering
evergreen Cleyera japonica (sakaki), Chamaecyparis obtusa and another conifer, Cryptomeria
japonica (sugi). Sakaki was clearly the most important of the three, but hinoki was also used in
Shinto ceremonies and purification rituals.

In a tradition that began over 1300 years ago, Ise Grand Shrine is completely replaced every 20
years. This Shinto shrine and pilgrimage site is rebuilt in an eight-year process without the use
of any nails and entirely from hinoki wood. The largest pieces of wood, from trees more than
400 years old, come from an area in central Japan reserved for this purpose and renowned for
producing superior timber. According to a traditional saying, raising trees takes as much care as
raising children. It is believed that rebuilding the shrine gives it new energy – and that its old
materials, used to repair or rebuild other shrines, impart new energy to them.

“Standing on the cypress stage” is another traditional saying. During the Tokugawa shogunate,
only designated theatres were permitted to have stages constructed of Chamaecyparis obtusa,
conferring superior status on the actors who performed there.

The fragrance of its wood and foliage derives from essential oils that consist of many aromatic
chemicals, including “hinokitol.” A compound low in toxicity and one that inhibits bacterial
growth, it is also found in other members of the cypress family, the Cupressaceae. This essential
oil is used as a natural remedy in personal goods such as toothpaste, hair products and perfumes.

Less desirable is the effect of pollen produced by the tree’s small, conical, red-brown pollen
cones – a major cause of spring “hay fever” allergies.

Well-built hinoki structures can last 1000 years

– and some buildings/artifacts are even
older. Hōryū Temple (Hōryū-ji) in Nara, Japan,
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and home to
some of the oldest surviving wooden structures
in the world – including its pagoda and main
hall, built about 600 CE. They were rebuilt after
a fire in about 700 CE. Twenty-six other
buildings in the complex were built before 800
CE. All of them together are considered the
oldest wooden buildings in the world.

Hōryū Temple, main hall & 5-story pagoda. (photo: 2019)

 Fuji  Wisteria

Wisteria was considered very elegant and refined in the 11th century Heian court. Governing
aristocrats, the Fujiwara clan, held flower viewing parties under the wisteria trellis. The soft
inside skin of the vine was used to weave clothing and tatami borders. The vine in its entirety is
very strong. Old historical sources indicate that a wisteria vine was used to pull a wooden sleigh
to carry a huge stone coffin during the 3-4th century when a burial mound was built at the
emperor’s death.

Wisteria trees can grow in very poor soil and old documents state that wisteria roots were eaten
at the time of famine. New shoots can be eaten parboiled. Flowers can be eaten as salad or as
tempura. Salt-pickled flowers are used as tea. Knots on the tree are used to treat stomach cancer.
When pruned after flowering, there are no seeds. Therefore, seeds are rare and considered a
delicacy. When seeds are pounded they have a texture of mochi and they were treasured as
source of sugar during the Edo period.

The Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi, Japan, is home to more than 350 wisteria trees. At the center of the park is its
main attraction: a 140-year-old tree believed to be the oldest living wisteria in Japan. The plant is named the "Great
Miracle Wisteria." The largest wisteria plant in North America, planted in 1894 is at Sierra Madre in California, and
has been the center of an annual festival since 1918.
There is a traditional Japanese dance titled “Fuji
Musume,” the “Wisteria Maiden,” which features the
spirit of the wisteria plant, transformed into a bashful
and romantic young woman.
The dance comes from the story about a painting of the
Wisteria Maiden in the town of Otsu. The painting
catches the eye of a male passerby. As he gazes into
the painting, the wisteria maiden becomes so
infatuated with the man that she comes to life, stepping
out of the painting to dance. She writes heartfelt
letters, but the letters go unanswered. The dance
expresses the depth of emotion of her unrequited love,
eventually leading her to sadness and despair.
Heartbroken, she re-enters the painting, where she
remains in the last pose of the dance.

The wisteria is a popular motif found in

many art forms including painting,
printing, textile design, pottery, stone and
wood carvings.
 Matsu ● Pinus species
In the Seattle Japanese garden there are 12 species of pine (matsu) and 64 individual pine trees.
In Japan pines refer to endurance and longevity and are widely planted throughout Japan and the
world.

In the north end of the garden is a black pine,

Pinus thunbergii which was a gift in 1993
from Dick Yamasaki. Dick was a member of
the team that created the garden in 1959-60.
It was already 80 years old when it was
moved to the garden.
A quote from the Sakuteiki, Japan’s
Gardening Classic book written in the 11th
century beautifully describes our tree. “The
pine trees used in Japanese gardens need not
be too tall but they should be old, splendid in
form and laden with deep green needles.”

Famous pine trees are shaped from early

years and can take 100 plus years to grow
into the basic shape. The Rikusho-no-
Matsu or “sailboat” tree at the Kinkakuji
temple in Kyoto is made of one pine tree
and was 100 years in the making. When
the tree was young, a branch was bent
into shape by means of strings and wires
and left for several years. The branch
formed the hull of the ship. Then the
central trunk was allowed to grow and was formed into the sail of the boat. Seventy or eighty
years were needed for this operation. Currently it is presumed to be four to six hundred years old.
“Hair dressing” or trimming has been practiced on the tree every year. Each spring a gardener
climbs the pine tree to trim off the sprouts or candles to concentrate the growth on the shaping of
the tree. It faces west, meaning people could 'ride' the boat to the western 'pure' land.

Matsu are strongly associated with Japan’s original religion, Shintoism, which viewed pines as
yorishiro — that is a place capable of attracting the gods (kami). In fact the word matsu means
‘waiting for a god’s soul to descend from heaven.’ The kami are attracted to beautiful trees and
the grain God was believed to dwell on pine branches.
Matsu is also the pronoun citation of the verb “to wait” and in Heian era poetry was strongly
associated with waiting for a lover. More broadly, pine trees suggest the idea of waiting for a
difficult situation to be resolved.
Red pine Pinus densiflora and Black pine, Pinus thunbergii are often paired in Japanese gardens.
The red pine is considered more feminine, the needles are softer and the bark redder. The black
pine has stiffer needles and is considered more masculine. These pines are also seen in paintings,
wood block prints and decorating ceramics.

Pines are often referred to in legends. For

example it is said that princess Konohana-no-
Sakura-Hime once had her eye hurt on a pine
needle. “No pines shall grow here” said the
princess. Hence hardly any pine trees are now
found at Hakone and its vicinity.

Pines and cranes are both associated with

longevity. The pines on Turtle Island suggest
the immortals flying on the backs of cranes.

Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk; Suzuki Kiitsu, early

19th century

The wood is used for many purposes in everyday life such as house construction, fuel, musical
instruments, tools, turpentine, and varnish. The red pine has a high resin content which makes
the wood strong and rot resistant and is a hot burning fuel for pottery kilns. The pine resin has
also been used to provide a protective callus over wounds and protects them from infections. The
black pine is also used as a garden tree, or for hedging or a street tree or a boundary marker for
Shinto shrines.

In literature, one can find Haiku and folk stories that feature pine trees. For example:

New summer robes—

Listening to the pine breeze
They emerge

by Kobayashi Issa

A favorite children’s story is The Sticky, Sticky Pine. It can be found in the book Japanese
Children’s stories by Florence Sakade. The story begins when a Woodcutter finds a tree in the
forest which has a broken limb. "These, your tender twigs, I shall wrap," he whispered, "and in
this way, I'll stop the sap." The woodcutter carefully mended the branches, wrapping them in
bandages by pulling off his own jacket and tearing it in pieces to use as cloth. There is more to
the story, but for that you must read it yourself.
 Aki-no Nanakusa ●
Seven Flowers of Autumn

The Seven Flowers of Autumn (Aki-no Nanakusa) 秋の七草 is

not a very well known concept to many people outside of Japan,
but a very popular and beloved topic in Japanese literature and
paintings at least since the Nara Period (710-794). The verses
by Yamanoue-no-Okura (660-733) are believed to be the origin
of the tradition of the 7 Flowers of Autumn. They are taken
from The Man'yōshū (万葉集), which is the oldest existing
anthology of Japanese poetry.

aki no no ni Flowers blossoming

sakitaru hana o in autumn fields -
yubi orite kaki kazoureba when I count them on my fingers
nana kusa no hana. they then number seven.
Hagi / bush clover
hagi ga hana The flowers of bush clover,
obana, kuzubana zebra grass, kudzu,
nadeshiko no hana fringed pink,
ominaeshi yellow patrinia
mata fujibakama thoroughwort,
asagao no hana. and Japanese morning glory.

Obana or Susuki / porcupine

or zebra grass
This poem and the flowers it mentions are still popular in Japan
today, with one change to the original set of seven flowers; namely,
asagao (Japanese morning glory) is often replaced by kikyō (balloon
flower). Whenever Japanese artists have drawn an autumn scene
they typically include a subset of these flowers to indicate to the
viewer that the season depicted is autumn. Seven plants of autumn,
along with rice dumplings, are common altar offerings during
Tsukimi (moon viewing), which is celebrated mid-August of the Nadeshiki /pink
lunar calendar (mid-September in the solar calendar).

Around 2012 our Plant Group noted that four of the seven were growing side-by-side in the
south bed of Azumaya. We wondered if they had been placed together on purpose. The 2012
gardeners were not able to answer. After much sleuthing and inquiry the Plant Group discovered
two facts:
1. One of the previous Senior Gardeners, Jim Thomas, planted them in the 1990s near the
Azumaya and throughout the nearby orchard. He planted 6 of 7, excluding Japanese arrowroot
kuzu plant (invasive in our climate), based on his research of instructions left in 1959 by the
Garden’s original builder and designer, Juki Iida, who wanted the
flowers to brighten the orchard’s understory. The summer droughts of
2014-15 gradually destroyed most of them. In the fall of 2015 the
current Senior Gardener, Peter Putnicki, replanted 6 of them in the same
bed, where they are carefully nursed and still thrive for the visitors
enjoyment every early fall.

2. Those seven Japanese indigenous perennials are appreciated mainly

for their flowers. They have never been considered core plant material in
Japanese gardens which traditionally consist of green plants, with a Ominaeshi / yellow
significant number of evergreens to suggest the idea of permanence. patrinia
Master Iida, who built many gardens in post-WW2 bombed-out
Japanese cities, wanted to bring a note of hope to the garden visitors.
He planted flowers which grew naturally in the countryside or were
enshrined in culture and art. Most of them are small and dainty, yet
provide visual enjoyment. Those pastoral accents (signifying rural
land and giving spiritual guidance) eventually became a personal
signature of Juki Iida’s gardens – fulfilling the design principle of
Shizen sa, naturalness.

This is a sad place to note that out of the over 1000 gardens that
master Iida built in his lifetime the Seattle Japanese Garden is the last
one existing, as even his own garden in Tokyo fell to the needs of Fujibakama / thoroughwort
city developers a couple of years ago. It is with gratitude and a sense
of wonder that in 2019 we are still able to enjoy Juki Iida’s work and
ideas, including Seven Flowers of Autumn. They are as follows, in
order as they appear in the Okura’s 8th century poem:

Kikyo / ballon flower

• HAGI / 萩 • bush clover / Lespedeza thunbergii
• OBANA / 尾花 or SUSUKI / ススキ • pampas, Eulalia, Susuki or
silver grass / Miscanthus sinensis
• KUZU / 葛 • kudzu or arrowroot / Pueraria lobata {not in SJG)
• NADESHIKO / 撫子 • pinks / Dianthus superbus (SJG has
Dianthus ‘kahori)
• OMINAESHI / 女郎花 • damsel or maiden flower or yellow
patrinia / Patrinia scabiosifolia
• FUJIBAKAMA / 藤袴 • thoroughwort / Eupatorium fortunei
(SJG has Eupatotorium purpureum - Joe Pye weed)
• KIKYOU / 桔梗 • (previously Asagao) • bell- or balloon flower /
Platycodon grandiflorum Kuzu / kudzu (NOT in SJG)
 Sugi ● Cryptomeria japonica

Cryptomeria Age and Range – Cryptomeria or

Japanese cedar is the oldest and largest living
tree in Japan and is native to China and Japan.
It grows throughout Japan and has different
characteristics depending on where it grows.
This Haiku gives one the feel of the sugi.

ama-dare no .......... 雨だれの

ootsubu kotsubu .......... 大粒小粒
sugi no eda .......... 杉の枝

dripping rain
in big drops, small drops –
a cedar branch

Jōmon Sugi is the most famous tree in Japan,

This worn and withered giant was so gnarled
that Edo-period loggers made no attempt to fell
it. The 22km hike to get there and back puts it
just within reach for fit, but non-athletic day
hikers.

There was a legend about this tree - far bigger than any other on the island, so large that it takes
13 people with outstretched hands to encircle it, and no one alive knows exactly where it is,
although it's somewhere in the mountains, above the logging operations. A man, named Teiji
Iwakawa, was so determined to find this legendary tree that he spent seven years searching. And
then, in 1966, he found it. Estimates about its age have varied radically, from 2,000 years to
7,200 years. Since the tree is hollow, carbon dating can verify only 2,170 years. The Jōmon sugi
is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Architecture and construction –

Cryptomeria has been used for hundreds of years in the building of tea houses, shrines, and in
buildings. Tea houses were made from Kitayama sugi beginning in the Oei period from 1394 –
1428. The trees are felled from late autumn to early winter. The bark is then carefully removed
and the round logs left to season for 2 to 3 years. The seasoned wood is polished with white
sands and a vertical saw cut is made to prevent cracking. (Where do we see it in the garden
today?)

Sugi from Yakushima, called Yakusugi was used in shipbuilding and architecture. However, the
bulk of the Yakusugi was used to make roof tiles called hiragi or flat wood. Hiragi was sent to
the Satsuma Domain as annual tribute. Due to increased demand for Yakusugi, the Meiji.
government (1868-1921) prohibited residents from cutting trees. In 1921, the National Forestry
Bureau announced a plan the forest management: The front of the mountain is for local profit
only, local people may harvest trees for firewood and charcoal, local hiring for logging,
forestation and gathering, government funded roads around Yakushima.
(How does this compare with our logging policies?)

Sake and Cryptomeria

The Yoshino Sugi was a key element in making fine sake barrels called taru for over 200 years.
It was used until the early 1900s when glass bottles came
into wide use. Yoshino Sugi, has a refreshing aroma and
scent of Japanese Cedar which becomes part of the sake.
Yoshino sugi also has rot-resistant qualities and has
reddish brown wood in the center and middle section and
has beautiful light, white-like color wood in the outer
section. This combination of white exterior and red
interior was especially prized in sake barrel making.

Demand for the Yoshino Sugi caused a shortage in supply

and reforestation efforts were begun. A group was formed
called the yamamori or protectors of the forest. The
yamamori worked both as a type of forest ranger to
protect the trees as well as a type of "farmer" to plant and
cultivate these precious trees

There is a street in Japan called

the Cedar Avenue of Nikkō which
is lined with about 13,000
cryptomeria trees. They were
planted by Matsudaira Masatsuna,
a feudal lord serving Tokugawa
Ieyasu (1543-1616). Masatsuma
was too poor to donate a stone
lantern at the funeral of Ieyasu but
requested instead to plant an
avenue of sugi so that future
visitors might be protected from
the sun. The offer was accepted;
the Cedar Avenue of Nikko, still
exists today and is over 40 miles
long.
This site is designated by the Japanese government as both a Special Historic Site and a Special
National Monument.
(Where are the oldest trees in Washington? How old are they? What kind of trees are they?)
 Sakura  Prunus serrulata

Japan was an agricultural country with rice as the most important product. Japanese people
considered the cherry tree to be the yorishiro (object to which a divine spirit is drawn) of the
grain god. Cherry blossoms in the spring were thought to be the god’s indication of an abundance
of grains in the fall. People foretold a good or bad rice crop in the fall depending on the condition
of the blossoms. In olden days when a calendar did not exist, the bloom of the cherry blossoms
was an indication for people to start planting rice in the field. People found a close relationship
between cherry blossom and the grain god. “Sa” in sakura means “the grain god” and “kura”
means “seat” for the grain god. Sakura means the place where the grain god resides. People
believed that the grain god lives in the mountains and at the time of rice planting he comes down
to the village. Blooming cherry branches in the mountains were brought to the rice field and sake
and food were offered to the god for a good crop in the fall. When the rice planting was done the
grain god goes back to the mountains. This is the origin of hanami (flower viewing party) which
is still held today where family and friends gather under the cherry blossoms with sake and food.

There is a saying in Japan: “Among flowers, cherry blossoms are the best. Among people,
samurai are the best.” Cherry blossoms are cheerful, pure and straightforward and they bloom all
at once and petals fall in a flash. Similarly samurai, the best among people, are willing to die
gallantly with no regrets just like cherry blossoms. This is a good reflection of the Japanese
mentality. “mono no aware”(appreciation of fleeting nature of beauty) is a fundamental Japanese
aesthetic sense.
In January, 1910, 2,000 Japanese cherry trees arrived in Washington, D.C. from Japan but had
fallen prey to disease during the journey. In response, a private Japanese citizen donated funds to
transport 3,020 new trees taken from the famous collection on the bank of the Arakawa River in
Adachi Ward, a suburb of Tokyo. In March 1912, the trees arrived in Washington, D.C, and on
March 27 the first two trees were planted along the Potomac River’s Tidal Basin in a formal
ceremony. The rest of the trees were planted along the basin and on the White House grounds.
The blossoming trees proved immediately popular with visitors and in 1934 city commissioners
sponsored a three-day celebration of the late March blossoming of the trees, which grew into the
annual Cherry Blossom Festival. After World War II, cuttings from the cherry trees were sent to
Japan to restore the Tokyo collection that was decimated by bombing attacks during the war.
Japan’s national flowers are the chrysanthemum and the cherry blossom. The Emperor’s crest is
a 16-petaled chrysanthemum and the chrysanthemum is on the Japanese passport. Japanese
policemen wear a cherry blossom badge. Japanese family crests often use stylized plant designs
with the exception of cherry blossoms. The reason for this is that the family wants a symbol of
longevity that lasts for generations and not a cherry blossom that is very transient.
The Sakura song is a beloved song in Japan and is like a second Japanese national anthem.
A Japanese poem written by Priest Saigyo (1118-1190) on his death bed is very well known in
Japan. It translates to:
I wish to die
In spring, beneath the cherry blossoms
While the springtime moon is full.
 HANASHŌBU • IRIS ENSATA

Beautiful iris beds are iconic flora of Japanese Pond/Stroll Gardens of the Momoyama/Edo
periods. They grow on our Seattle Japanese Garden lake and shoreline landscape. A beloved
flower in Japan, they have been cultivated for over centuries for their agricultural purposes,
symbolism, cultural uses, and probably, above all, their beauty.

The term "Japanese iris" encompasses three species

of irises cultivated in gardens or growing wild in
Japan: hanashōbu (Iris ensata), kakitsubata (Iris
laevigata) and ayame (Iris sanguinea). Of these
three species, I. ensata is the one most commonly
referred to as "Japanese iris" outside Japan and it is
an important, early-summer element of our Seattle
Japanese Garden.

In Japan, iris culture is an art. Beginning at least

500 years ago, the Japanese have developed more than 2000 cultivars from the original wild
plants. These cultivars are recognized by their large, beautifully colored and patterned flowers,
notable for their wide falls (the flower parts that hang down) and graceful, horizontally spreading
form. According to the place where it was cultivated, I. ensata is classified into three strains –
the Edo (Tokyo) were raised in the fields, marshes, wet grassy places and can withstand outdoor
conditions; the Higo (Kumamoto Prefecture) were bred in pots, often indoors to withstand heavy
rain; and Ise (Mie Prefecture) Kyoto area, pot-grown indoors, associated with religious shrines.

Irises that had been developed to grow outdoors

were planted in huge display gardens, and people
came to the gardens in large numbers when the
plants were in bloom, from May to July. This
tradition, similar to that of visiting the cherry trees
during their blooming season, continues in Japan
today with numerous gardens to visit.. This early
19th century woodblock print by Hiroshige, the
famous ukiyo-e artist, depicts the Kotaka-
en hanashobu garden near Tokyo, with its three
viewing pavilions, rows of irises and many visitors.

In ancient times, farmers planted wild irises in or near their rice fields -- because they needed to
rely on seasonal changes to direct their labors. Iris were important signal plants because their
blooming coincided with the start of the rainy season, the time for transplanting rice plants from
seed beds to the fields. The Ota-jinja Shrine in Kyoto, known as the Purple Iris Shrine and
notable for the bright flowers that cover the grounds in May and June, is devoted to the god of
plentiful harvests and fittingly has been an important shrine for farmers since its beginning and
has scenery loved since the Heian period.
The Edo period stroll garden includes famous landscape scenes. One of those scenes that was
best known from a 10-centry anthology of poems, The Tales of Ise, is that of the Eight Bridges,
the Yatsuhashi. Our garden’s zig-zag bridge with iris beds on the pond’s shore recreates the
essence of the scene.
In the poem a traveling poet writes of coming upon a profusion of Japanese iris, Kakitsubata,
blooming in shallow water beside an eight-planked bridge. The sight of irises prompts him to
compose a nostalgic love poem. The first syllable of each line forms the Japanese word for those
irises, Kakitsubata (ba = ha)….

Karagoromo I have a beloved wife

kitsutsu narenishi familiar as the skirt
tsuma shi areba of a well-worn robe
harubaru kinuru and so this distant journeying
tabi o shi zo omou fills my heart with grief.

Irises at Yatsuhashi by Ogata Kōrin, from a pair of screens, ink and color on gold leaf on paper; date: after 1709 .

Historically and in modern Japanese culture, the flowering iris can be found as a kimono pattern,
as a symbol in paintings, and in Japanese haiku. It is a popular motif in textile art, and is
frequently used in ikebana.

垣津旗よりあの虹は起りけん

Kakitsubata yori ano niji wa okoriken

Irises―

from which that rainbow

rises

Kobayashi Issa 1803

Torii Kotondo, Iris Kimono -1932

 Sho-Chiku-Bai • Three Friends of Winter

Plum, pine and bamboo are collectively known as the Three Friends of Winter. They remind us
to persevere…the plum braves the cold of winter to blossom, the pine stays green throughout the
cold season and the bamboo bends in storms, but does not break. The three “friends” are found
on textiles used for kimonos, paintings, scrolls, ceramic decorations, and New Year’s greetings.

The Three Friends first appeared together in a poem by the 9th century Tang Dynasty poet, Zhu
Qingyu. The Song Dynasty artist, Zhao Menjian (c.1199-1264) among others of the time, made
this grouping popular in painting. Another Song Dynasty writer “for his residence, earth was
piled to form a hill planted with a hundred plum trees, which along with lofty pines and tall
bamboo comprise the friends of winter. “

In Japan the three plants are known as “the three

auspicious friends” and called Sho-Chiku-Bai. The pine
represents longevity, bamboo represents perseverance,
and plum represents courage. These qualities are also
applied to people in art. Courageous literary characters
are often presented in kimono with plum blossom,
bamboo and pine patterns.

The friends are particularly associated with the start of the lunar New Year, appearing on
greeting cards and as a design stamped into seasonal sweets. Surimono are greeting cards for
holidays and almost always contain a poem and feature the auspicious three friends. The
handmade cards were popular during the 18th century until the end of the 19th century when
Japanese began mass producing greeting cards.

Kadomatsu or gate pines are given at New Years to place before the door. They
are made with the three auspicious Friends of Winter. These are set up at New
Year's and remain for 14 days, a period called matsu no uchi (within the pine).
The grain God was believed to dwell on pine branches and people set Kadomatsu
to welcome the God at the beginning of the year.

In spite of harsh winter weather, the plum produces fragrant flowers.

Ume (plum) is a protective charm against evil. It should be planted in
the NE corner of the garden as it is believed that evil comes from that
direction. The fruit can be made into juice, wine or pickled and
preserved.

There are very stylized

Winter plum, your limbs patterns for The Three
are twisted and creak like mine Friends. Once you
Ancient as I am Buson (1715-83) recognize them you will
find them in many Art
works, textiles and
ceramics. Can you find
the three friends?