Higanbana – The Autumn Equinox Flower in Japan

After a long, hot summer, the arrival of the higanbana in mid-September heralds the beginning of autumn. The tall stems and spectacular bright red flowers seem to appear out of nowhere and appear around paddy fields mostly. The flowering season is short and lasts only 2-3 weeks, but if you happen to be in Japan when they are in bloom, it is worth making an effort to see Higanbana 彼岸花

Although they look very attractive, these flowers are poisonous, especially the bulbs, which is why farmers have always planted them around rice fields to help keep mice and other hungry animals away.

The name Higanbana 彼岸花 means the flower of Higan and is the Buddhist festival associated with the autumnal equinox and a national holiday in Japan. The meaning of Higan is “the other shore”, that is, the land of the dead.

That is why, despite being beautiful, you will never see cut Higanbana flowers in a Japanese florist, as their association with death is too strong. They are also often planted around cemeteries, as before cremation became a custom in Japan, these flowers kept animals away from buried bodies.

Legend has it that if you bring Higanbana to your house, it will catch fire since another name by which this flower is known is “kajibana” (火事花) that is, the flower of fire, since its petals resemble fire flames. fire.

Higanbana originated in China, Nepal, and Korea, but only the female variety was brought to Japan, so all Higanbana is grown from bulbs and intentionally planted by humans.