Shidekobushi - the rare Magnolias of the Tono region
The Shidekobushi is a Magnolia species native to Japan
I remember how my mother loved to grow flowers in our garden In Sweden. The house sat on top of a hill in the middle of a vast forest, where my father had built it with the help of friends and relatives in 1949. The ground was certainly not the best for gardening. It was full of stones, rocks and roots. My father had to dynamite the biggest boulders. The resulting volume of rock was enough to build a wall around the property, 100 meters long on each side.
The soil contained very little in the way of nutrients, so my mother had a hard time making her roses and fruit trees thrive. Somehow she succeeded, but then the moose would come and eat all her apples. The deer ate the strawberry flowers, so no fruits would grow, and birds eagerly gulped down plums, black currant, and anything else they had a taste for. At night, the badgers dug up the bulbs under the earth in the flower beds. But the worst combatant was nature itself, as Sweden is a cold place and covered in snow and ice during the long, dark winters. In short, the place I grew up was not a good home to flowers.
The soil contained very little in the way of nutrients, so my mother had a hard time making her roses and fruit trees thrive. Somehow she succeeded, but then the moose would come and eat all her apples. The deer ate the strawberry flowers, so no fruits would grow, and birds eagerly gulped down plums, black currant, and anything else they had a taste for. At night, the badgers dug up the bulbs under the earth in the flower beds. But the worst combatant was nature itself, as Sweden is a cold place and covered in snow and ice during the long, dark winters. In short, the place I grew up was not a good home to flowers.
The Shidekobushi has a subtle fragrance and blooms from late March to early April
When I moved to Japan in 1989 and was struck by the rich variety of vegetation and flowers. People love flowers here, and flowers love the land. Mother was of the worrying kind, and called every time there was a report of a storm, flooding or earthquake, no matter how remote from where I lived. News media back home never seemed to be interested in talking about how law-abiding and polite the people are, the clean streets or the healthy food. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to bring my mother here, so she could see this, and above all, all the wonderful flowers? I put forward the idea to her, and while she had never travelled abroad apart from a brief visit to Norway, and never flown on a plane, she went to the store to buy a suitcase. Sadly, that was as close as she ever came to seeing the lush gardens and landscapes of Japan.
Had I been able to bring her here, one of the flowers I would have liked her to see is the Shidekobushi. As I write this we have entered spring. The blooming of the plum and peach trees has already passed. The cherry trees are still thinking about it. Now is the time to pay a visit to the woods here in the Tono area, where the wild Shidekobushi sit in their natural habitat.
Had I been able to bring her here, one of the flowers I would have liked her to see is the Shidekobushi. As I write this we have entered spring. The blooming of the plum and peach trees has already passed. The cherry trees are still thinking about it. Now is the time to pay a visit to the woods here in the Tono area, where the wild Shidekobushi sit in their natural habitat.
We took the car and went for a drive to capture some of these beautiful plants. It was still a little early in the season, nevertheless we were still greeted by the earliest blooming flowers at our first stop only five minutes drive from our house. The flowers were still sparse, but that was not the end of the story, as you shall see later.
The sign reads something like this:
Designated as Valuable Property of Tajimi City
The Kokeizan Shidekobushi Habitat
“The Shidekobushi is a valuable plant that grows naturally only in Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures that surround Ise Bay. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree of the genus Magnolia of the Magnolia family. It is fragrant and blooms from late March to early April before the leaves open. The flowers are white to deep red, and have between six and forty petals. There are small leaves under the flowers, and one of the features is that there are many variations in the colour of the flowers and the number of petals. It prefers wetlands and grows naturally in various parts of the Tono region, but colonies of this size are rare and valuable. The Shidekobushi was designated as the Tajimi City flower in the 57th year of Emperor Showa (1982).”
December 2013
Tajimi City Board of Education
Designated as Valuable Property of Tajimi City
The Kokeizan Shidekobushi Habitat
“The Shidekobushi is a valuable plant that grows naturally only in Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures that surround Ise Bay. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree of the genus Magnolia of the Magnolia family. It is fragrant and blooms from late March to early April before the leaves open. The flowers are white to deep red, and have between six and forty petals. There are small leaves under the flowers, and one of the features is that there are many variations in the colour of the flowers and the number of petals. It prefers wetlands and grows naturally in various parts of the Tono region, but colonies of this size are rare and valuable. The Shidekobushi was designated as the Tajimi City flower in the 57th year of Emperor Showa (1982).”
December 2013
Tajimi City Board of Education
The Shidekobushi grows naturally in wetlands where water seeps into the hilly areas. The flowers are large, snowy white or pink and bloom in early spring, before the leaves open. Except for here in the Tono region, where it is widely distributed, it is isolated and distributed in very limited areas.
The Shidekobushi habitats are distributed in a small region centring on the Tono area around the cities of Tajimi, Toki and Mizunami.
The Japanese name of this tree - Shidekobushi - can be written with the Chinese characters 四手拳, reading shi (四, meaning “four”), de (手, meaning “hand”), and kobushi (拳, meaning “fist”). Written that way, in other words, it literally means “four fisted hands”. Some sources say that the name comes from the fact that the fruits it bears are clustered and have bumps like fists. Others that it is derived from the shape of the flowers.
The Shidekobushi is native to Japan. It is a smaller tree than the Chinese magnolia. It has a subtle, slightly sweet and pleasant fragrance. In Gifu Prefecture, where Tajimi is situated, it was selected as one of the "Recommended Trees for Air Quality" in December 1995, and cultivated products are used for environmental purification and appreciation.
On the day we visited this habitat, near the large Buddhist temple Eihoji in the kokeizan area just outside central Tajimi, the blooming had just started. The trees were standing next to the road, but there are many more further into the woods.
The Shidekobushi is native to Japan. It is a smaller tree than the Chinese magnolia. It has a subtle, slightly sweet and pleasant fragrance. In Gifu Prefecture, where Tajimi is situated, it was selected as one of the "Recommended Trees for Air Quality" in December 1995, and cultivated products are used for environmental purification and appreciation.
On the day we visited this habitat, near the large Buddhist temple Eihoji in the kokeizan area just outside central Tajimi, the blooming had just started. The trees were standing next to the road, but there are many more further into the woods.
We were slightly disappointed on our first stop around Tajimi, as only a few flowers had started to bloom yet.
Why is this regarded as a special area by the city? The Shidekobushi is on the Government’s red list of threatened wild species in Japan. It is native to Japan and belongs to the category Star Magnolia. It has been grown in Japan for hundreds of years as flowering pot plants. The name of the wild species, recorded as Magnolia tomentosa Thunb., makes me a little proud as a Swede. It was recorded in the botanical Observations on the Flora Japonica in 1794 by Carl Peter Thunberg, a Swedish naturalist and an "apostle" of Carl Linnaeus. While access to the Japanese islands was strictly forbidden to foreigners at the time, Thunberg was given the opportunity in 1776 to accompany the Dutch ambassador M. Feith to the shogun's court in Edo, today's Tokyo. During that journey, he collected many specimens of plants and animals and talked to locals along the way. On his way from Nagasaki to Edo back in the 18th century, he passed through the region where the Shidekobushi is common today, and it seems quite likely that it was here that he discovered and catalogued Magnolia tomentosa Thunb.
Thunberg travelled from Nagasaki in the west, past Nagoya, not far from Tajimi. Source: Wallström, T. (1982), Thunberg’s Travels in Japan. Svenska Upptäckare. Stockholm: Trevi.
Leaving the habitat at the Kokeizan, we carry on past the park at the top of the Kokeizan hill where the cherry blossoms are about to bloom. If you walk down the narrow path from here to the bottom of the valley you will find yourself at the beautiful Eihoji temple park, which is quite wonderful to stroll in this time of the year. The autumn foliage there is also quite splendid, and if you are an early bird you can challenge yourself to a Zen meditation sitting in the morning.
A colony of wild Shidekobushi under the bridge to the Ceramic Park Museum in Tajimi.
We continue to the Ceramic Park museum, which apart from its collections also has a very pleasant green area where you can walk in the woods and climb the observation tower at the top. Here we found a beautiful colony of Shidekobushi, very close to the bridge that takes you to the museum proper. This is also a very pleasant area to spend a couple of hours in. You can combine a visit to the museum -which not only houses ceramics but also other very interesting art exhibitions- with an hour or two of fresh air in the woods. It’s a good place to have lunch, or perhaps even take part in a traditional tea ceremony. The tea ceremony not only provides time for relaxation, but also an opportunity to drink from ceramic tea bowls made by famous potters here in Tajimi.
The entrance to a very pleasant hiking path around the hills at the Ceramic Park in Tajimi.
After the Ceramic Park we continue to our final destination for the day, the Kasahara Shiomi no Mori, a scenic walking area, beautifully tended and with a view of the distant sea. The park, located in the hills of Kasahara-cho, is a spacious place well suited for a picnic. There is a promenade in the mountain forest, an observatory and a medicinal herb garden. From the observatory you can see the Central Alps, Mount Ontake, Mount Hakusan, and far Ise Bay. It’s a very pleasant place where the pretty song of the Japanese nightingale and ribbiting of frogs fills the air.
We parked the car and walked past two elderly gardeners who tended to the plants and trees. After a few minutes we arrived at where we had hoped to enjoy a splendid view of the many Shidekobushi trees. We were disappointed to find that they had not begun to bloom yet. As we were standing there, thinking about what to do next, one of the gardeners came up to us and said, “Well, I’m afraid it’s a bit early here still. It is chillier up here in the mountains, so it will take some time before you can enjoy the bloom.” I thought it was still quite pleasant to engage in small talk with the man like this. I remember the tourist crowds in Kyoto’s famous gardens, trampling on each other to get a good view of the most famous spots. At one time I had to line up to take a photograph from a good angle, and there was a man in charge of keeping the line orderly. He certainly had no time for small talk.
As we strolled back and as the day was coming to an end, we discovered some Shidekobushi trees that had begun to bloom, and got our cameras out. Given the number of trees here, it should be one of the best spots in the region to enjoy the view of these precious trees.
We parked the car and walked past two elderly gardeners who tended to the plants and trees. After a few minutes we arrived at where we had hoped to enjoy a splendid view of the many Shidekobushi trees. We were disappointed to find that they had not begun to bloom yet. As we were standing there, thinking about what to do next, one of the gardeners came up to us and said, “Well, I’m afraid it’s a bit early here still. It is chillier up here in the mountains, so it will take some time before you can enjoy the bloom.” I thought it was still quite pleasant to engage in small talk with the man like this. I remember the tourist crowds in Kyoto’s famous gardens, trampling on each other to get a good view of the most famous spots. At one time I had to line up to take a photograph from a good angle, and there was a man in charge of keeping the line orderly. He certainly had no time for small talk.
As we strolled back and as the day was coming to an end, we discovered some Shidekobushi trees that had begun to bloom, and got our cameras out. Given the number of trees here, it should be one of the best spots in the region to enjoy the view of these precious trees.
Although we didn’t find the splendour of the Shidekobushi in full bloom at the Shiomi no Mori park, it was still a soothing feeling to wander in the beautiful and spacious gardens.
I wish my mother had been able to summon her courage and get on a plane to Japan. Not only would she have been able to enjoy all the natural beauty of Japan, but also the beautiful art of Japanese gardening - in some ways radically different from Western tradition. If you have an interest in Japan I encourage you to make up your mind and make the journey. And why not to Tajimi? You will find our city and the surrounding region to be not only full of flowers, but also friendly people and food and drink that will put a smile on your face.
But let me come back to the flowers one last time. As we had been a bit disappointed by our first visit to the nearby habitat, we went back and discovered there is a whole little Shidekobushi garden, lovingly tendered by volunteers. This is about as close as you can get on Google Maps. If you walk a few more meters you will find yourself at the park. Deeper in the woods there are wild trees, but here, volunteers have planted their own. This time we were met by a very pretty view indeed.
But let me come back to the flowers one last time. As we had been a bit disappointed by our first visit to the nearby habitat, we went back and discovered there is a whole little Shidekobushi garden, lovingly tendered by volunteers. This is about as close as you can get on Google Maps. If you walk a few more meters you will find yourself at the park. Deeper in the woods there are wild trees, but here, volunteers have planted their own. This time we were met by a very pretty view indeed.
The Shidekobushi Park is easy to find, and you could walk there from the station, although it will take a while. There is also a bus that stops nearby.
There are a couple of very nice cafés nearby, and a stand where you can enjoy the local, very tasty snack goheimochi. Here is a map, it’s within walking distance from the station. You can also catch a bus on the Onada Line from the Northern Exit at Tajimi Station and get off at Kokeizan（虎渓山） after a ten-minute ride.
On the map here we have marked the Eihoji Information Office, which serves delicious goheimochi (read more here). The information office is to the left when you walk down from the bus stop on main road. Walk a few meters further. Before you cross the railroad, there is a road on the right hand side. If you walk that road a couple of hundred meters you will find the Shidekobushi park.
I think you will find why Thunberg, the 18th Swedish explorer who travelled to Edo, wrote that “[...] in the course of our journey [...] we were everywhere received not only with the greatest politeness and attention, but with the same respect and esteem as is shown to the princes of the country when they make their journeys to the imperial court.” You will find this friendliness and curiosity is still alive off the beaten path in Japan. And nobody has to compete for a place under a good tree to enjoy their picnic.
