Canola, more than just a pretty flower in Japan

The flower of February 6th is the canola flower known as "Nanohana" in Japanese. Hereafter I call it "nanohana". Nanohana (菜の花) has a wonderfully rich life in Japan, far beyond just being a pretty flower, a harbinger of spring. It is a landscape flower that is even planted intentionally to boost tourism, with picturesque spots and even nanohana festivals. 

 In other countries, as much as Japan, nanohana is associated with canola / rapeseed oil. But in Japan, nanohana is actually eaten, and widely eaten too. The young buds and stems are tender, slightly bitter, and packed with nutrients. Common dishes include nanohana ohitashi, tempura and nanohana mixed into chirashi-zushi for "hinamatsuri", the dolls' festival / girl's day. 

Other purposes of nanohana in Japan include environmental uses. For example, nanohana is used for soil improvement. It is also used for fodder and even biofuel. In addition, nanohana support bee health and early-season foraging. By supporting healthy bee populations, it in turn improves pollination of nearby crops and helps maintain biodiversity, while simultaneously attracting tourism in an area, with the beautiful scenery of fields of yellow.