By: Alex
Legend has it that after death, souls are led by underworld messengers (the Ox-Head and Horse-Face) first through the Gate of Ghosts, then along the long Road to the Underworld, eventually arriving in the underworld court to face judgment by the Ten Kings of Hell. It is said that along this road bloom an extremely striking type of flower. This flower blooms without leaves, and grows leaves when not in bloom — the flower and leaves never meet, symbolizing separation. In Buddhism’s “Lotus Sutra,” it is called manjusaka (Sanskrit), while the Japanese call it higanbana.
▲ Yamanashi Prefecture, Kinchakuda Manjusaka Park (photo by monaka_0508 @IG)
Known as Lycoris radiata in Chinese, the name higanbana has another origin story. It is said that the three days before and after the spring equinox are called Haru-Higan (Spring Equinox Higan), and the three days around the autumn equinox are called Aki-Higan (Autumn Equinox Higan). The higanbana flowers bloom with remarkable punctuality during Aki-Higan, hence the name.
▲ Chiba Prefecture, Murakami Green Space Park (photo by s_kasaiii @IG)
In Japan, the blooming season of higanbana is from mid-September to early October each year. When these flowers bloom, their fiery red hue resembles blood, and some even find them ghostly and ominous, both bewitching and inauspicious. Nowadays, most famous higanbana viewing spots in Japan are artificially planted, with numbers reaching up to 2 to 3 million blossoms. When they bloom together, the sea of vivid red is both sorrowful and spectacular.
▲ Ibaraki Prefecture (photo by alice_garden__ @IG)
The most famous higanbana viewing spot in Japan is Kumagaya City in Saitama Prefecture’s Kinchakuda Manjusaka Park. The park boasts Japan’s largest cluster of wild higanbana, numbering up to 5 million plants, transforming the woodland into a crimson carpet and evoking the image of the “Blazing Road” of hell (the Road to the Underworld lined with higanbana). Additionally, in Saitama Prefecture’s Kawagoe City, the prefectural Koganedō Park plants 3 million higanbana along a long riverside embankment, where the vast sea of red flowers meets the blue sky — a truly breathtaking sight.
▲ Ibaraki Prefecture (photo by alice_garden__ @IG)
Aside from red, higanbana also comes in white, known as mandaraga (Sanskrit) as mentioned in the Lotus Sutra. There is also a yellow-flowering relative of higanbana (Lycoris aurea), which looks similar in shape but blooms slightly earlier, usually from mid-summer to late summer. Lastly, it’s worth noting that the entire higanbana plant is toxic — it should only be admired and not touched to avoid discomfort.
▲ Yamanashi Prefecture, Yoshimi Town, Sakura Embankment Park (photo by tsukasa_aka @IG)
▲ Toyama Prefecture, Kuwana City (photo by kotarouno524 @IG)
▲ Saitama Prefecture (photo by kenzo_pix @IG)
▲ Saitama Prefecture, Kinchakuda Manjusaka Park (photo by sanasana888 @IG)
▲ (photo by usalica @IG)
▲ Aichi Prefecture, Handa City (photo by takashikick @IG)
▲ Kinchakuda Manjusaka Park (photo by syumatsutabi_jp @IG)
▲ Aichi Prefecture (photo by pierre._.turquoise @IG)
▲ Aichi Prefecture (photo by pierre._.turquoise @IG)
▲ (photo by k13364242 @IG)
Sources: Ikidane Nippon, Kinchakuda Manjusaka Park, Prefectural Koganedō Park, Chinaqna