Tag: ‘Vegetation’

Wild plants of Japan (time-lapse videos)

09 Nov 2010

Various Japanese plants (and fungi) spring to life in Omni/ScienceNet's "Action Plant" series of time-lapse videos shot in Kōchi prefecture.


+ Snake gourd flower (Trichosanthes kirilowii) // Wikipedia


+ Veiled stinkhorn (Phallus indusiatus) // Wikipedia


+ Japanese royal fern (Osmunda japonica) // Wikipedia


+ Japanese cheesewood (Pittosporum tobira) // Wikipedia


+ Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum japonense) // Wikipedia


+ White egret flower (Habenaria radiata) // Wikipedia


+ Red spider lily (Lycoris radiata) // Wikipedia


+ Soybeans (Glycine max) // Wikipedia


+ Ume plum blossom (Prunus mume) // Wikipedia


+ Cherry blossoms (Prunus serrulata) // Wikipedia

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo scenery

19 Aug 2010

The illustrations of TokyoGenso (a.k.a. Tokyo Fantasy) depict a post-apocalyptic Tokyo devoid of people and overtaken by nature.

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Shinjuku skyline [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by TokyoGenso --
Tokyo Big Sight [+]

Tokyo in ruins, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Rainbow Bridge [+]

Tokyo in ruins, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Moai statue at Shibuya station [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Kabuki-za Theater, Ginza [+]

Tokyo apocalypse, illustration by Tokyo Fantasy --
Mode HAL iKO Building, Shinjuku [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by TokyoGenso --
Poster for "The Book of Eli" (Japanese title: "The Walker") [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --  Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Gundam // Tokyogenso Robot

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Tokyo Sky Tree [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Sofmap Akihabara [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Haneda Airport [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Cover of Liberal Time, September 2010

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Akihabara [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Saigō Takamori statue, Ueno

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Poster for "The Book of Eli" (a.k.a. "The Walker) - Osaka version [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Osaka street scene - Tsūtenkaku Tower [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Osaka street scene - Billiken [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Osaka street scene [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Hato Bus [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Tokyo Monorail [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --  Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Shibuya station (Fukutoshin Line) // Seibu Shibuya

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
"Manneken Pis" statue at Hamamatsuchō station

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Ueno [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Tokyo Tower [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Shinjuku station [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Hanayashiki amusement park, Asakusa [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
McDonald's [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Yoyogi station [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Nakano station [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Akihabara [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Shibuya [+]

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo, illustration by Tokyo Genso --
Wako Building, Ginza [+]

[Links: tokyogenso blog, pixiv, deviantART]

Photos: Rice paddy art (2010)

13 Jul 2010

This year's selection of rice paddy art has begun to crop up in fields across Japan.

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Rice paddy art in Inakadate (Aomori prefecture) [photo]

Two historical figures -- the legendary warrior-monk Benkei (left) and the warrior Ushiwakamaru, a.k.a. Minamoto no Yoshitsune (right) -- have emerged in a pair of fields in the Aomori prefecture town of Inakadate. For nearly 20 years, the town has prided itself as home to Japan's finest rice crop art, which is created by carefully arranging different colors of rice plants in the field.

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Benkei (left) and Ushiwakamaru (right) [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Benkei [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Ushiwakamaru [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Ushiwakamaru in late June [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
View of Ushiwakamaru at ground level [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Ushiwakamaru [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Benkei [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
View of Benkei at ground level


+ Video of Inakadate rice paddy art (filmed in late June)

* * * * *

Here are a few more works of rice paddy art from other parts of Japan.

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Animals in Asahikawa (Hokkaido) [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Animals in Asahikawa (Hokkaido) [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Samurai Keiji Maeda in Yonezawa (Yamagata prefecture) [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
View from top of Keiji Maeda's head [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Princess Okaiko, a local folklore figure, in the town of Shirataka (Yamagata prefecture) [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Rice paddy art at Denpark in Anjo (Aichi prefecture) [via]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Rice paddy art at Sakakibara onsen (Mie prefecture) [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Ducks near Fukushimagata Lagoon Water Park (Niigata prefecture) [via]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Ground level view of ducks near Fukushimagata Lagoon Water Park (Niigata prefecture) [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Ducks near Fukushimagata Lagoon Water Park (Niigata prefecture) [via]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Buddhist sword dancer and Anpanman in the Mizusawa area (Iwate prefecture) [photo]

Rice paddy crop art in Japan, 2010 --
Anpanman in the Mizusawa area (Iwate prefecture) [photo]

More:
- Rice paddy art, 2009
- Time-lapse video of rice paddy art, 2008
- Rice paddy art harvest, 2007
- Rice paddy art, 2007

Manga farming

12 Apr 2010

Tokyo-based artist Koshi Kawachi recently demonstrated his "Manga Farming" technique -- which uses old manga as a growing medium for vegetables -- by cultivating a crop of radish sprouts in an installation at the Matsuzakaya department store in Nagoya.

Manga Farming, by Koshi Kawachi --

Manga Farming, by Koshi Kawachi --

Manga Farming, by Koshi Kawachi -- Manga Farming, by Koshi Kawachi --

Manga Farming, by Koshi Kawachi --

Manga Farming, by Koshi Kawachi --

Manga Farming, by Koshi Kawachi --

Manga Farming, by Koshi Kawachi --

Manga Farming, by Koshi Kawachi --

Manga Farming, by Koshi Kawachi --

[Link: Koshi Kawachi]

Inorganic flora

10 Aug 2009

CG illustrator Macoto Murayama takes a unique look at the organic beauty of flowers by highlighting their geometric and mechanical structure.

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
H. annuus

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
H. annuus

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
H. annuus

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
Lily

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
Lily

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
Lily

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
Lily

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama -- CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama -- CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
C. morifolium

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
Gerbera

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
Gerbera

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
C. warneri [+]

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
C. warneri [+]

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
Rosa [+]

CG illustration by Macoto Murayama --
Prunus

[Links: Creators Bank, TORAY]

Midori-san, the blogging houseplant

07 Oct 2008

Midori-san, the blogging houseplant --
Midori-san, the blogging houseplant, at bowls Donburi Cafe in Kamakura

If houseplants could blog, what would they say? To find out, Kamakura-based IT company KAYAC Co., Ltd. has developed a sophisticated botanical interface system that lets plants post their thoughts online. A succulent Sweetheart Hoya (Hoya kerii) named "Midori-san" is now using the system to blog daily from its home at bowls Donburi Cafe in Kamakura.

The plant interface system, which is built around technology developed by Satoshi Kuribayashi at the Keio University Hiroya Tanaka Laboratory, uses surface potential sensors to read the weak bioelectric current flowing across the surface of the leaves. This natural current fluctuates in response to changes in the immediate environment, such as temperature, humidity, vibration, electromagnetic waves and nearby human activity. A specially developed algorithm translates this data into Japanese sentences, which are used as fodder for the plant's daily blog posts.

Midori-san, the blogging houseplant --
Diagram of plant interface system

Midori-san started blogging about a week ago. So far, the plant's highly structured posts summarize the day's weather, temperature and lighting conditions, describe its overall physical condition, tell how much light it received via the user-activated lamp (see below), and explain how much fun the day was. Each post also includes a self-portrait photo and a plant-themed pun (in Japanese), which Midori-san likely did not write. A graph at the top of the sidebar shows the plant's surface potential in real-time.

Readers can also treat Midori-san to a dose of fluorescent light either through the website or this widget:

To activate a web-controlled fluorescent lamp positioned next to the plant inside the cafe, click the "Give Light to Midori-san" (?????????) button at the bottom of the widget, enter your name (or a nickname), and click OK. (Get the widget code here.)

Once the lamp activated, the widget shows a real-time view of Midori-san under the light.

Judging from the blog content and the numerous "thank yous" below the fold of each post, Midori-san seems to really appreciate every chance it gets to photosynthesize.

In addition to exploring the potential of intelligent networks that involve the natural environment around us, KAYAC hopes this entertaining plant interface system will inspire people to think about the environment in new ways.

[Link: Kyo no Midori-san]

Rare ‘Devil’s Cigar’ fungus discovered in Nara

06 Aug 2008

Chorioactis geaster found in Nara, Japan --

One of the world's rarest fungi, an exotic star-shaped mushroom known to exist at only three locations on Earth, has been discovered in the mountains of Nara prefecture.

The Devil's Cigar (a.k.a. "Texas Star") -- known to botanists as Chorioactis geaster -- had been observed only in central Texas and at two remote locations in Japan prior to the recent discovery in Nara. The peculiar fungus is described as a dark brown cigar-shaped capsule that transforms into a tan-colored star when it splits open to release its spores. It is also one of only a few known fungi that produce an audible hiss when releasing spores.

First reported in 1893 in Austin, Texas, the curious mushroom appears in a limited area of central Texas each year, and until now, the rare sightings in Japan have occurred in forests in Miyazaki and Kochi prefectures. The fungus is included on the red list of threatened species published by Japan's Environment Ministry.

The recent Nara discovery was made by Masakuni Kimura, curator of a natural history museum in the town of Kawakami (Nara prefecture). Kimura first encountered Devil's Cigars in October 2006 while surveying a forest near Kawakami, where he found 12 of them growing from a dead oak tree next to a mountain stream at an elevation of 470 meters (about 1,550 ft). Nearly a year later, in September 2007, he discovered four more of the mushrooms when he returned to the site with Shuichi Kurogi, curator of the Miyazaki Prefectural Museum of Nature and History. Their findings were presented at a recent meeting of the Mycological Society of Japan.

The site of the Nara discovery, like the previous Miyazaki and Kochi sites, is located in a humid forest. At all three sites, the Devil's Cigars were observed growing on dead oak trees near a stream.

Chorioactis geaster in central Texas --
Texas Star, the state fungus of Texas?!

In central Texas (which is located at approximately the same latitude as southern Japan), the rare fungus appears during fall and winter, growing from the stumps and dead roots of cedar elm trees.

Tsuyoshi Hosoya, head botanist at Japan's National Science Museum, says, "The DNA of the Devil's Cigar from Miyazaki is consistent with the one from Texas. They are regarded as the same species."

While it is unknown how this exceedingly rare mushroom came to appear only in Japan and central Texas, one intriguing theory suggests that spores from Japan were swept up in an Asian dust cloud and carried across the globe.

[Sources: Sankei, SAS via Watashi to Tokyo]

See also: Rainy season brings glow-in-the-dark mushrooms

Time-lapse video of rice paddy art

22 Jul 2008

This time-lapse video of the 2008 Inakadate rice crop art is composed of still images captured daily from June 1 to July 3, 2008 via the roof webcam at the adjacent town hall. The 3.7-acre work features the images of Daikoku, god of wealth (left), and Ebisu, god of fishers and merchants (right), which were created using five different colors of rice plants. On July 4, just as the crop was beginning to mature, the organizers shut down the webcam when they removed the JAL ad portion of the artwork at the request of the rice paddy owner.

Photo: JAL logo still visible in crop art

09 Jul 2008

JAL logo still visible in Inakadate rice paddy art --

This photo snapped by Aomori-based blogger Pochiko shows remnants of the JAL logo still visible in this year's Inakadate rice paddy art, several days after organizers attempted to "erase" it.

Read more: JAL logo uprooted from rice paddy art