Seasonal Exhibitions｜Botanical Garden of Every Day Life｜Exhibitions

Contets: Outline of Exhibition

Outline of Exhibition

Traditional Antique Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemums, one of Japan's common horticultural plants, are not native to Japan; however, we know that in the Heian period (794to 1185) Kikkano-en (chrysanthemum-viewing garden parties) were the vogue in the Imperial Court. It is thought that the chrysanthemum was first introduced into Japan from China, together with other cultural items, in the Ritsuryo period（From the latter half of the 7th century to the 10th century）．

During the Heian and Kamakura periods (1185 to 1333), special chrysanthemums were developed by members of the ruling class, based on the Japanese people’s sense of beauty. For example, the Saga giku chrysanthemum, which has brush-like petals, was cultivated exclusively in the Daikakuji Temple in Kyoto; and Ise giku, with its drooping petals, was cultivated in connection with the Kokushi (provincial governor) of Ise (present-day Mie Prefecture) and the Ise Jingu Shrine. In this way, the chrysanthemum gradually established its privileged position among the ruling class, for use in parties, as material for artistic crafts, and as a symbol of eternal youth and immortality.

In the middle of Early Modern Japan(Edo period,1800), chrysanthemums gradually became popular among the common people; for example, flower gardens with a variety of chrysanthemum varieties were created, and exhibitions of artworks incorporating chrysanthemums became prevalent. Among the varieties contributing to this popularity were Higo giku, which has sparse petals, and Edo giku, whose petals change shape after blooming, as well as Choji giku, with its hemispherical center. These traditional medium-sized flowers are called Koten giku (classical chrysanthemums).

The Botanical Garden of Everyday Life has been collecting and exhibiting such classical chrysanthemums since 2000.

At this time, we will exhibit roughly 110 varieties of classical Japanese chrysanthemums (koten giku), which have unique features and are cultivated in different regions in Japan; and also roughly 100 original varieties, which have been cultivated from seeds in the National Museum of Japanese History, such as Saga giku, Ise giku, and Higo giku. In this fiscal year, with the theme of ‘tools for chrysanthemum cultivation’, we will also introduce cultivation tools that appeared in the Kikukyo (Japanese chrysanthemum cultivation guidebooks written in the Edo period,1755(Horeki 5)) and Ukiyo-e (traditional Japanese colored woodblock prints), and illustrate the popularity of competitive Japanese flower shows, with panels.

Period	Oct. 30 (Tue) - Nov. 25 (Sun), 2018
Venue	Botanical Garden of Everyday Life, National Museum of Japanese History
Admissions	¥100 Groups of 20 or more: ¥50 per person * Free admission for children junior high school age and younger * Free admission for high school students every Saturday
Hours	9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (no entrance after 4:00 p.m.) * The Garden will open at 8:30 a.m. on Monday Aug. 13 to Sunday Aug. 19, 2018. * Viewing is best in the early morning due to the special way in which the morning glory bloom.
Closed	Nov. 5 (Mon) , 12 (Mon) , and 19 (Mon)
Sponsor	National Museum of Japanese History

Exhibition Lineup

The following varieties, cultivated in flower pots (No. 7, 21 cm diam.; No. 9, 27 cm diam.), will be exhibited near the Azumaya (wall-less building), and in the plastic greenhouse and the reed-walled display platform, in the Botanical Garden: a variety of classical chrysanthemums cultivated and bred in the Botanical Garden of Everyday Life (including 17 varieties of Saga giku, 13varieties of Ise giku, and 4varieties of Matuzaka giku);30varieties of Higo giku;33 varieties of Edo giku; 10varieties of Choji giku; 9 varieties of Oshu giku, which have been cultivated from the middle of Early Modern Japan (Edo period,1800), similar to Edo giku and Higo giku; as well as roughly 100 new varieties, which have been cultivated from seeds in our Garden. In addition, with the theme of ‘tools for chrysanthemum cultivation’, we will introduce cultivation tools that appeared in the Kikukyo (chrysanthemum cultivation guidebooks written in the Edo period,1755(Horeki 5) and Ukiyo-e (traditional Japanese colored woodblock prints), and illustrate the popularity of competitive flower shows in Japan, with panels.