By: Alex
Just after summer fades, before the maple leaves turn red, it’s the season when autumn cosmos bloom in vibrant competition. Though their name includes “cherry blossom,” autumn cosmos have no relation to the spring-blooming sakura. In fact, “autumn cherry blossom” is what the Japanese commonly call them. Their Japanese name, Kosumosu, is a transliteration of the Spanish word “cosmos,” which originates from the Greek word for beauty.In Chinese-speaking regions, this flower is widely known as the cosmos flower.
▲ (Photo by KEY8969 @Twitter)
Autumn cosmos feature large, delicate blooms atop slender and fragile stems. They sway gently in the wind, their tender appearance evoking sympathy and reminiscent of spring cherry blossoms that scatter with the breeze—hence the name “autumn cherry blossom.” Another explanation is that the shape of the cosmos flower closely resembles that of a cherry blossom, and when they bloom en masse, the resemblance is even stronger, thus earning the name.
▲ Fukuoka City Seaside Momochi Park, Fukuoka Prefecture (Photo by astrailor_jp @IG)
Autumn cosmos are a very common ornamental flower and can be found in parks and fields of all sizes across Japan. Of course, for those wishing to see a vast sea of blooming cosmos, larger parks are the place to go. In Tokyo, the most famous spot is the National Showa Memorial Park in Tachikawa City, located in the western suburbs. Covering 180 hectares, the park offers floral beauty year-round, but the optimal period to admire autumn cosmos is from late September to the end of October, when nearly 5.5 million plants of various cosmos varieties come into full bloom.
▲ Mitsukou Cosmos Garden, Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture (Photo by astrailor_jp @IG)
As for the Mitsukou Cosmos Garden (Mitsukou Cosmos Garden) in Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture, Kyushu, although it covers only about 16 hectares, it is planted with approximately 28 million cosmos flowers.Every October, the garden opens to the public for two weeks (this year from October 13 to October 27), becoming a popular photo spot for photographers and flower lovers from all over Japan.
▲ Toyama Prefecture (Photo by _taka23 @IG)
▲ Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture (Photo by _ka0ri @IG)
▲ (Photo by ryusei.14 @IG)
▲ (Photo by ryusei.14 @IG)
▲ (Photo by KEY8969@Twitter)
▲ Niigata Prefecture (Photo by jyamingo_suzuki_ @IG)
▲ Nagano Prefecture (Photo by jyamingo_suzuki_ @IG)
▲ (Photo by xxxoxxx6907 @Twitter)
▲ (Photo by xxxoxxx6907 @Twitter)
▲ Yokohama Satoyama Garden, Kanagawa Prefecture (Photo by _mabo0039 @IG)
Sources: Seibu Railway, National Showa Memorial Park, Nakatsu City Official Tourism Website