Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of The Asahi Shimbun.
June 13, 2020 at 12:25 JST
Hydrangeas, gardenias and persimmon flowers bloom in humid summer. Essayist Reiko Masuda (1929-2012) once noted, "I cannot help feeling that even though all these flowers bloom with determination, they do so in a restrained manner, never with fanfare."
Their modesty actually has the positive effect of impressing us deeply with their innate strength. And of these summer flowers, the "dokudami" (Houttuynia cordata, also known as chameleon plant, among others) is said to be especially understated, and yet almost dangerously alluring.
The dokudami's pure white flower stands out even in deep shade, or precisely because of the darkness of the shade.
To be truthful, I never thought of it as beautiful until this summer. I must have been blinded to its beauty for all these years because of its ugly name, "doku," meaning "poison" in Japanese.
A haiku by Bosha Kawabata (1897-1941) goes: "Dokudami ya/ Mahiru no yami ni/ Haku juji." (Dokudami/ In the midday darkness/ A white cross.)
The gloom of "tsuyu" rainy season has begun to envelop the Kanto region since around June 11. And with the coronavirus pandemic continuing to cast a pall, I imagine our days ahead will be cloudy or rainy with occasional sunny spells.
This is the season of colorful umbrellas unfurling like flowers. Schools have reopened, but I understand some are enforcing staggered attendance by the days of the week. I suppose this means the clusters of "umbrella flowers" formed by children on their way to and from school will be smaller this year.
And the kids won't be able to study and play as usual, but I hope they will take things in their stride.
The word "dokudami" means "correct or stop the poison," and the plant's other name is "juyaku" (literally, 10 medicines).
As such, dokudami must have been valued as a medicinal plant since olden times. It is soothing to look at, and I hope it will heal the heart, too.
--The Asahi Shimbun, June 13
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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
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A "Dokudami" plant in bloom (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
