※This article was published at September 2014※
“Asagao”, or Japanese morning glory in English (or Ipomoea), is a very popular summer flower in Japan.
You can find it in front of many houses, growing vertically maintained by bamboo structure.
“Asagao” means “morning face” in Japanese, that’s quite interesting because it’s very close of the English name morning glory.
Popular colors are blue and purple but sometimes you can find pink ones.
“Asagao” is also used as a “kigo”, a seasonal word, to represent summer in poems and art for example.
If you’re visiting Tokyo in July, don’t miss the “Asagao festival” held around July 6-8th in Iriya, near from Ueno.
In Edo-era, most of Tokyo’s “Asagao” were cultivated in this area, that’s why every July there’s a festival in Iriya Kishimojin Shrine and Iriya surroundings with Asagao decorated traditional goods, as well as shops selling Asagao planters to bring back home.
More about “Asagao” in English :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomoea_nil
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