菊は、日の出ずる国家の象徴の原型! The chrysanthemum is the prototype of the national symbol of the Nihon

一年の最後に咲く花は「菊」。菊は、私にとっても馴染みの深い花である。
子どものとき、父親がいつも庭で菊の手入れをしていたのをよく覚えている。年一度の尾道千光寺公園での菊人形大会の大輪菊などの展覧会に父親が出品していたこともあり日常の中に菊があった。

The flower that blooms at the end of the year is "chrysanthemum". Chrysanthemum is a flower that I am familiar with.
When I was a kid, I remember my father always grooming chrysanthemums in the garden. There was a chrysanthemum in my daily life because my father had exhibited it at an exhibition such as the large-flowered chrysanthemum at the chrysanthemum doll competition at Onomichi Senkoji Park once a year.


また、仕事では1990年の「花の万博」が大阪で開催されたとき、NHKの仕事で「花コンテスト」の放送原稿を書く仕事をしたことで花への関心度がさらに強くなった。
その後、生け花の稽古をする機会に恵まれ、そして自宅の木の剪定にまで手を出し庭師気取りで楽しませてもらった。そのお陰だろうか、いまでも花や木を見ると心が高鳴る。

In terms of work, when the "Flower Expo" was held in Osaka in 1990, my interest in flowers became even stronger because I worked as a broadcast manuscript for the "Flower Contest" at NHK's work.
After that, I was blessed with the opportunity to practice ikebana, and even pruned the trees at home, and enjoyed it like a gardener. Perhaps because of that, I still get excited when I see flowers and trees.

先日、鶴の話を書いたとき、写真の2羽の鶴の上に実は「菊花の御紋」が描かれている。それを見たときに「菊花紋」の美しさに惹かれ、その謂れを調べてみた。
菊花紋は、延命長寿の効用がある延命草とも呼ばれる菊を原型に、花弁が放射状に並んでいることから日の光にも例えられている。それが理由に日の出ずる国家の象徴としての花になったようだ。それで、国家の象徴である天皇家のシンボルとして創作されたという。
この菊花紋が正式に皇室の紋章となったのは、鎌倉時代の後鳥羽上皇のとき。さらにそのあと、明治22年に菊花の中心にある円の直径と菊花全体の大きさの割合などが定義された。その後、大正15年に発布された皇室儀制令により菊の花は16葉、その花弁は八重菊の複弁とし、そして弁の端の弧は32と定められた、と記されてあった。
正式には「十六弁八重表菊紋」というらしい。ちなみにパスポートの表紙にある御紋は、八重ではなくて「十六弁一重表菊紋」といい少し異なるもののようだ。

The other day, when I wrote about the crane, the two cranes in the photo actually have the "Chrysanthemum Flower Crest" drawn on them. When I saw it, I was attracted to the beauty of the "chrysanthemum flower crest" and tried to find out what it was called.
The chrysanthemum flower crest is based on the chrysanthemum, which is also called the prolonging life grass, which has the effect of prolonging life and longevity, and is likened to the sunlight because the petals are arranged in a radial pattern. For that reason, it seems that it has become a flower as a symbol of the nation that rises at sunrise. Therefore, it is said that it was created as a symbol of the Emperor's family, which is a symbol of the nation.
This chrysanthemum flower crest officially became the imperial emblem when Emperor Go-Toba was in the Kamakura period. After that, the ratio of the diameter of the circle in the center of the chrysanthemum flower to the size of the entire chrysanthemum flower was defined in 1887. After that, it was written that the imperial decree issued in 1918 stipulated that the chrysanthemum flowers had 16 leaves, the petals were double petals of double chrysanthemum, and the arc at the end of the petals was 32. ..
Officially, it seems to be called "16-valve Yae-Omote Chrysanthemum Crest". By the way, the crest on the cover of the passport seems to be a little different from the "16-valve single-layered chrysanthemum crest" instead of the double-layered one.

9月は、旧暦でいうと「菊月」と呼ばれていた。9月9日を重陽の節句というが、別名「菊の節句」ともいう。菊花の宴で邪気を払い長命を祈った。
「吉祥の鳥」である鶴と一緒に描かれている菊花紋は「吉祥文様」といわれている。
写真にある図柄を見ていると鶴や菊への愛着が湧いてくる。

September was called "Kikuzuki" in the lunar calendar. September 9th is called the Double Ninth Festival, but it is also known as the "Kiku no Sekku". At the feast of chrysanthemums, I prayed for a long life by removing evil spirits.
The chrysanthemum flower crest drawn with the crane, which is the "auspicious bird," is said to be the "auspicious pattern." Looking at the patterns in the photo, I feel an attachment to cranes and chrysanthemums.

リポート&写真/ 渡邉雄二　Reported & Photos by Yuji Watanabe