Spring flowers in Japan: poppies

A couple of weeks ago I introduced the Iceland Poppy, which are light colored poppies that grow in the middle of spring. Today, the poppies that grow in May and are in bloom around Japan right now. Fields of red poppies are a common sight around Japan. In my own prefecture of Saitama, we have the largest poppy field in all of Japan.

I love red in nature, so each year I try to go see a few different poppy fields. Poppies are a familiar flower to me. In my home country, Ireland, we don't have large poppy displays. But in the UK, our neighbor, the poppy is a symbol of remembrance day, which is also called poppy day. Each year in November, we see British people wear the poppy in remembrance of British soldiers.

In Japanese poppies are called Hinageshi, but Poppy is also used. Hinageshi specifically refers to the corn or field poppy. The meaning of corn poppies in the flower language "hana no kotoba" is kindness, compassion, comfort and calmness of mind. They are the flower of February 23rd, even though they aren't in bloom then!

Do you like poppy flowers? Have you been to see any poppy flower displays this year?