Photo/Illutration U.S. President Joe Biden during a news conference on July 11 in Washington (AP Photo)

"Yuzuriha" (false daphne) is an evergreen tree that can grow to about 10 meters tall.

When new leaves sprout, old leaves droop as if to move aside. And when the new leaves become fully established, the old leaves simply fall off.

The name is written in kanji characters that denote "yielding leaves."

The tree is also called "oyakogusa" (literally "parent-child grass"), apparently because it readily symbolizes generational change.

When children reach adulthood, their parents step aside and pass the torch. Our ancestors must have believed that such a smooth transition from one generation to the next would enable their descendants to prosper, which was something to rejoice over.

For this reason, the yuzuriha has been valued around the nation as a propitious New Year's decoration.

And now, a generational shift has been announced in America.

U.S. President Joe Biden on July 21 dropped out of the presidential race, endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris, as his successor.

Did Biden do it right? Will the "new leaf" grow properly?

His competency being challenged repeatedly because of his age, Biden must have agonized over his decision. In fact, he was insistent that he would remain in the race until right before he made his announcement.

According to local reports, even his senior campaign aides were not informed until just a minute before his decision was made public.

I don't think Biden's many misstatements were his biggest problem. Rather, I was bothered by how badly his reaction belied his abundant political experience when his wisdom was questioned.

During the presidential debate in June, Biden accused Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump of having "the morals of an alley cat."

Would I be too rude to say that Biden at that moment reminded me of a petulant child quarrelling with another child?

However, Biden's "historic" decision brings to mind a piece from "Kokin Waka Rokujo" (Six Tomes of Waka), a 10th-century collection of poems.

Penned by an anonymous author, it reads to the effect, "I will forget you, should the leaves of evergreen yuzuriha ever change their color."

This is an ironic way of saying, "I will never forget you."

—The Asahi Shimbun, July 23

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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.