Fall flowers: chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum are the emblem of the Imperial family and widely accepted as the national emblem of Japan. The chrysanthemum is printed on the front of all Japanese passports. Some also say they are the national flower of Japan, not the cherry blossoms. But as there is no official national flower, it is an argument that can be disputed. I think most people agree though that cherry blossoms are the unofficial national flower. They are definitely a strong symbol of Japan. Some will say its both the cherry blossom and the chrysanthemum. And then there are people, like myself, that believe the chrysanthemum is the unofficial national flower! Maybe because it is the emblem of the Imperial family.

Chrysanthemum 

Chrysanthemum represent nobility, integrity and being exalted in Japan. Each of the colors have an additional meaning too. For example, the yellow represents slighted love. The white represent truth, both in Japan and the west. And the yellow means 'I love you', again both in Japan and in the west.  However, because chrysanthemum are associated with funerals in Japan (and a handful of other countries too) it is an unspoken rule that you never give chrysanthemum to someone in the hospital or recovering from illness. For the same reason, they don't make a good birthday present either! But they are the flower of September 9th. In addition, the red colored chrysanthemum are the flower of October 1st, November 27th and December 13th. The yellow color are the flower of November 3rd and the white ones are the flower of November 23rd.

Regardless of whether or not it is the national flower, there is no dispute that it is an extremely significant flower in Japan. Each year, in Autumn, there are Chrysanthemum exhibitions in various locations around Japan. Some of them start as early as October, but in the Kanto plain most are in November. You will find several articles on City-cost about the chrysanthemum exhibitions. But apart from the exhibitions chrysanthemum actually bloom in flower beds in November too. Surprisingly, despite the significance of chrysanthemum in Japan, there are actually relatively few chrysanthemum flower displays, like the one below in Saitama Prefecture. But you will find chrysanthemum blooming here and there in gardens around Japan.