🦕🦖GINKGO🌿🍂
“The ginkgo tree is from the era of dinosaurs, but while the dinosaur has been extinguished, the modern ginkgo has not changed. After the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, the ginkgo was the first tree that came up. It’s amazing.”
-Nakanishi Kōji (中西香爾 1925-2019).
Ichō are rather amazing trees, resilient to insects, disease, air pollution, fire and even radiation: a tree 1.1km from the epicentre of the atomic blast in Hiroshima in 1945 shocked scientists by recovering without deformations.
In the past women considered the tree symbol of fertility and breast-feeding as aerial-roots that developed in older ginkgo were known as 'chichi' (乳-breasts).
These unique structures grow down to the ground to form roots or up to sprout leaves.
If you were dropped into a teahouse at a random time of year, without access to the garden or any idea of the temperature outside, then the sweets served are your best bet for narrowing down the date...
Ichō momiji' (銀杏紅葉 'autumn-leaved ginkgo') herald deep autumn.
🍃SHRINE OF FALLEN LEAVES🍂
One of the most magical places to see ginkgo in Kyōto is at remote Iwato Ochiba-jinja (岩戸落葉神社), at the confluence of the Kiyotaki & Iwatani rivers.
It's made up of 2 shrines: Iwato-sha ("Rock Door Shrine") and Ochiba-sha ("Fallen Leaves Shrine").
Very little is known about the history of Iwato-sha & Ochiba-sha, but Ochiba-sha may well have originated as Ochikawa-jinja (堕川神社), first mentioned in 927.
#Kyoto #京都 #ginkgo #銀杏 #IwatoOchibajinja #岩戸落葉神社 #Ochibajinja #落葉神社
Ochikawa-jinja was thought to be connected to Tachibana-no-Kachiko (橘嘉智子), the consort of Emperor Saga.
Some have suggested that the character Ochiba-no-miya (落葉の宮/女二の宮) from 'The Tale of Genji' (源氏物語) is in some way connected to the shrine, and possibly gave her name to the site.
From the Momoyama period Iwato-sha and Ochiba-sha were placed together.
#Kyoto #京都 #ginkgo #銀杏 #IwatoOchibajinja #岩戸落葉神社 #Ochibajinja #落葉神社 #Japan #autumn #momiji #紅葉
🌰 SEEDS🔥
Ginkgo seeds, called 'ginnan' (ぎんなん), are delicious.
I usually just heat them in a frying pan until the shells have browned, remove the shells, sprinkle on salt and eat.
They have a slightly bitter, but exceptionally moreish, flavour😋
'Ginnan' (ぎんなん) are mildly toxic, especially for children, and should be eaten in moderation (some say no more than 5 a day).
They are, however, also nutritious, low in fat, high in niacin (vitamin B3), starch and protein, and act as cough suppressants.
Thanks to a substance called ginkgolide, ginkgo leaves can help...
🩸increase blood circulation (which aids with vision problems) & brain function.
💪boost the body’s anti-inflammatory function, which can increase lung capacity (helping asthma suffers) & may help with depression.
Oh, and ginkgo is also an aphrodisiac.
😉💋
Camellia Tea Ceremony
Lasse Beyer