Institute for Nature Study


 Of course, I was absolutely obsessed with the Institute of Nature Study. It was a large natural area in Tokyo dedicated to nature and understanding. Many plants had signs for what they were, but of course, it was all in Japanese, but they have this great website and my phone was able to translate it to English for trying to identify plants. https://shizen-mechanism.kahaku.go.jp/category/plant/


Inside the museum there was a small education center, with information on the plants inside. 


Walking down the path I was struck by how familiar the forest was. A lot of plants were very similar. The oak canopy leaves looked very different than the leaves of live oak. The pines have dark bark, aptly named Japanese black pine. The Japanese maple also dominates these forests, it’s a large tree with tiny leaves, like miniature versions of the red maple leaf, in a huge canopy tree. Cypress, Beach, and Magnolia trees also dot the landscape, as well as some unfamiliar trees  


Cypress

An ancient and revered black pine.

The mid story had tall palm trees similar to sandal palm, but with much smaller fronds. There were a bunch of this guava looking tree called yatsude, Fatsia japonica. Noibara, a wild rose. Kumasaza, Sasa veitchii, a false bamboo that looked like Arundernaria. 

yatsude, Fatsia japonica

Noibara, a wild rose

Kumasaza, Sasa veitchii,

Mayumi


I also saw lots of flowers and insects as well! 



Persicaria

Thai thistle with a bee

Thai thistle with a swift butterfly 

Thai thistle with a skipper?

Solanum

Ageratina 

Marsh fly?

Turikhneso, 

Red spider lily

Dragonfly on a lily capsule

Yamahagi, Lespedeza bicolor

Musasiabumi fruit

Musasiabumi Leaves


Praying mantis

Blue curls with a hummingbird moth







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Leaving Aus

  It’s hard to believe that 358 days ago I landed in Australia. It’s been an incredible journey. I’ve met and re-acquainted with so many incredible people, seen outstanding natural wonders, and had the opportunity to focus on my personal growth and joy. A week short of my visa expiring I’m continuing onto the next journey. There is a lot unknown ahead of me, but there always is in life.   I would be hard pressed to condense this last year into a short essay. This blog is a testament to that for sure. I’ve driven nearly 40,000km around this beautiful continent, as well as taken many ferries, a long train journey, buses, flights, and walked many kms. I’ve walked holes into the bottom of my shoes but my feet have happily journeyed on.  Since last October I’ve rarely stayed in one place more than 3 nights, and I’ve likely slept more nights in a tent than a bed.  It’s been an incredible journey. It’s far from over, but the next chapter is beginning. I can only hope it ...
Read more

Suncheon

  The next stop along my route was Suncheon. I mostly picked this spot out of convenience, but it was a nice city to stop in for a couple days.   The first day I just kinda wandered around the area, I wasn’t quite sure where I was going and was a bit indecisive so I ended up just wandering the town with no real plan, which truthfully is a great way to explore. I ended up seeing some really beautiful parks, as well as a bit of a tourist quarter, and an area around a middle school which had lots of small kids a few of whom hid behind their moms nervous to say hello to me, but clearly wanting to. Of course, they all got a piece of chocolate for their bravery in saying hello in English.  In the evening I returned to my room where I chatted with my two roommates, a French and a German girl. They were both interesting and nice and we discussed plans for a few days and ideas and it was nice to have people to bounce ideas off of.  The next morning they both got going earl...
Read more

Esperance

 Esperance is the last real town before the Nullarbor drive across the great Australian bight. It’s also one of my favorite towns. It’s small. Quaint. Quiet. It’s a tourism town, but is so inaccessible you really have to want to go to see it. Hours from Perth, it’s inconvenient and far. This makes it incredibly beautiful. The town itself is small, semi-modern with a mix of old and new houses. It’s designed for caravan tourists and is a pleasant place to spend a few days. The real gem though is 40 minutes away in Cape Le Grande NP. The beaches in Cape Le Grand are like nothing else. The granite rocks make it the whitest sand in Australia. It’s been measured. The sand is fine and white like snow which makes the clear Antarctic waters incredibly blue. The beaches are nearly empty despite it being warm sunny days, even the biggest beaches. If you are bothered by sharing the expansive capes with half a dozen people you can find a small quiet private cape and spend a whole day there to y...
Read more