Jun 17, 2025
Summer flowers in Japan: Lotus
Lotus flowers are such a fascinating flower. They have existed since ancient times in Japan. There is a great story of a particular species of lotus that was believed to be extinct resurfacing in Gyoda City, Saitama Prefecture, at a garbage incineration plant. It was determined by an isotope method, that the lotus were 1400 years old. It is just one variety of several that you can see in Gyoda City and indeed in Japan in general.
The lotus holds several different meanings across cultures. It is often said to represent purity, rebirth and / or spiritual enlightenment. The latter probably due to its association with Buddhism. In Japan one of the flower language meanings is "sacred". It is the flower of July 3rd, 8th, August 15th and September 26th.
In Japan lotus blooms for much of summer, but the best time to see them is usually July. The lotus photo in this post was taken this morning. The best time to see lotus is in the morning as the flower closes as the day goes on. I took this photo at 9.30 am which was already a bit too late in the day! The best time to see them is between 6 am and 8 am.
Have you seen any lotus flowers yet this year?
Former nickname was "Saitama". Changed it to save confusion on place review posts! Irish, 20+ years in Japan! I also write on my personal website: insaitama.com
1 Comment
TonetoEdo
about an hour ago
In previous blogs, I mentioned the Oga lotus. It's a natural monument in Chiba Prefecture. The back story is that a researcher, Dr. Oga, excavated ancient lotus seeds at the Hanamigawa River in Chiba City and revived the flower. Another revival of an ancient variety of lotus is at Hiraizumi. I've mentioned both the Oga and Hiraizumi varieties in blogs and reviews. They are enchanting!