IX. THE NANAKUSA. 



THE word nanakusa is the name of three categories in 

 Japan. It means literally "seven grasses" and is 

 sometimes applied to seven kinds of grasses occasionally 

 used together. It is also the name given to the seven 

 vegetables or "greens" eaten on the seventh day of the 

 New Year. And the same name is applied to seven kinds 

 of "flowers" which are used for decorative purposes on 

 the special occasion of "moon-viewing" on the fifteenth 

 day of the eighth month (o. c.) or about the end of Sep- 

 tember. It will thus be seen that for the present number 

 we have been unable to select any one "flower" as pre- 

 eminently appropriate, although there are plenty of blos- 

 soms; and also that this time the "flowers" (which, in 

 this case include "grasses") are a subordinate element in 

 the great festival of viewing the harvest moon. 



The authorities differ as to the flowers included among 

 the nanakusa ; but we have chosen the following list : 



Hagi (lespedeza or bush-clover) ; Obana (eulalia) ; 

 Kuzu (pueraria) ; Nadeshiko (pink) ; Ominaeshi (patri- 

 nia) ; Fuji-bakama (eupatorium) ; Asagao (wild morning- 

 glory). 



This list has been put into verse 1 by an ancient poet, 

 as follows: 



"Hagi ga hana 



Obana, Kuzn-hana, 



1 Chamberlain's Things Japanese. 



