CHRYSANTHEMUM

SEPTEMBER - MID NOVEMBER JAPANESE NAME: KIKU

If there was one ‘king’ of flowers in Japan, it would be the chrysanthemum. Blessing the nation with its arrival from September through November, the chrysanthemum, or kiku in Japanese, is not only visually striking – layer upon layer of long petals coming together to create a gorgeous soft ball of colour – but also a symbol of Japanese royalty and culture.

There are around 350 types of chrysanthemums in Japan alone. It was introduced to Japan by China.

So deeply loved by the nation, the flower was adopted by the Japanese royal family, who use the flower motif across all facets of royal life, from clothing to seals and even as decoration for the throne. “The chrysanthemum is the symbol of Japan,” explains Japanese journalist, culture and travel expert Mizuki Hamamoto. “It’s also printed on the cover of our Japanese passports, government military seals and flags. If you have a document with kiku seal on it, or even visit a temple or shrine with the kiku crest, it means the highest echelon, the royals, approve it.”

The royal chrysanthemum is yellow, but the flower comes in various forms and colours like red, pink, white and orange. White chrysanthemums indicate purity, grief, and truth and are used for funerals, while red chrysanthemums symbolise love. While less seasonal than many of the country’s other flowers – cherry blossom being an example – their arrival in autumn does have a spiritual connotation deeply connected to it.

“Kiku mostly blooms around the Autumnal Equinox Day, which in Buddhism it’s believed is the time of year where the barrier between the physical world and spirit world is at its thinnest,” says Hamamoto.

The best place to get a better idea of the sheer breadth and scale of chrysanthemum culture in Japan is to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Chrysanthemum Exhibition in Hibiya Park in Chiyoda City, which typically runs in November.

Held since 1915, this festival and floral art event hosts 1,000 exhibitions showcasing a huge cross-section of chrysanthemum types.

Chrysanthemums come in an impressive array of shapes and colours. They are beloved in Japan: 9 September is Japan’s National Chrysanthemum Day, one of Japan’s five ancient sacred festivals and also known as the Festival of Happiness.