Rosa Gallica

Roses in Japan (1886 - 1888)

Tokuzo Takashima

(Excerpts from the May, June, July, and August 1886, and March 1888 issues of journal des Roses. Translated and reprinted from the MayJune issue of Rosa Gallica with kind permission of the editor, Professor F. Joyaux.)

Rosa Polyantha, which Robert Fortune introduced to Europe, is most likely Rosa multiflora, a species rose which in Japan is called No-lbara, or No-Bara, literally "wild roses". The author is acquainted with five variet ies of this wild rose.

No. 1. This variety is a prickled climbing shrub which is distributed in nearly all the areas of Japan. It likes the banks of rivers and brooks, but is seldom seen in large forests. It grows about 2 metres high, and is covered with a large number of rather stiff, dark green leaves. A large number of single, white or pink, very fragrant flowers, ca. 2.5cm across, appear on numerous vertical panicles. The flowering period is from the middle of May to the middle of June.

No. 2. This is a creeping shrub which covers with its branches sandy places and gravel land where river water seldom reaches. It is also often found on sandy places on the seashore, but is seldom seen in forests or on fertile land. It is distributed in nearly all the areas of Japan.
This variety, which can reach a size as large as 10 metres, is less leafy Chan No. 1. Its yellowish green leaves are very stiff. The number of panicles on the creeping branches is small compared with No. 1, and so is the number of flowers on each panicle. The single flowers with thick, shiny white petals are ca. 4cm across, and are intensely fragrant. The flowering period is June and July.

No. 3. A low shrub with creeping branches with prickles, found in almost every area of Japan. The branches, 3 to 4 metres long, often look purplish. This variety grows in thickets or in large forests. Reddish green, or sometimes almost purple leaves are not so numerous, and grow close together. Flowers are sparse, white or pink, and not so fragrant. It flowers in June and July.

No. 4. This variety broadly resembles wild roses native to France. It grows among birches or fir trees on high mountains such as Mt Fuji. It is never seen on low hills or in flat land. The flowers, whose colour is close to the pink of oleander flowers, corne out in August.

The four varieties we have seen above grow wild in Japan. They have never been cultivated.

No.5 Rosa platyphylla (Rehd.). In Japanese, Rosa platyphylla is called "Sakura Ibara", literally "cherry rose". It is a climbing shrub about 3 metres high. It is not found growing wild. The flowers and leaves closely resemble those of No. 1 The flowers, however, are much larger, and have more petals, than those of No. 1. Some of this variety give rose (pale red) flowers, and som.e clear pink ones. Further, there are types giving flowers whose colour is rose when they open, but turn into clear pink in a few days. The flowers have little fragrance, and corne out in June.

Besides the five varieties above, there are two other roses found growing wild in Japan.

A. A shrub with branches thickly covered with prickles, which climbs up tall trees in large forests. It is found in the central, and southern areas of Japan only.
It is sometimes 5 to 6 metres high, some branches being 30 metres long. The leaves are dark green and stiff, often trifoliate. Flowers are ca. 8cm across, single, glossy white, and not so fragrant.

B. Rosa rugosa (Thunb) A shrub thickly covered with prickles. It stands without support, making a shrub 1.5m tall, or sometimes creeps on the ground. This rose only grows in sandy places on the seashore of northern Japan. Its leaves are numerous, vivid green, and not so stiff. The flowers are about 8cm across, pink, and slightiy fragrant. The flowering period is from the middle of June to the end of October.

Bibliography: In the French language, the bibliography concerning Takashima is important, but it focuses mostly on his artistic aspect. Let us mertin t o major articles: Auguin (E.) "Tokozo Takacyma", La Lorraine Artiste, 18 march 1888, and Charpentier (F.-T) "Un Japonais à Nancy au XIX siècle: Tokouso Takacyma, 1850 - 1931", Le Pays Lorrain, 1979, No. 1. In English and Japanese, see Makoto Ido, "Emile Gallé and Hokkai Takashima", Catalogue for the exhibition "Emile Gallé", Shimonoseki City Art Museum, 2000.

For more precise information concerning the roses of Takashima, see the Journal des Roses, February, May, June, July and August 1886, and then March 1888 issues. The only study on this topic is the article we published in Rosa Gallica No. 15, May-June 2002.

(Translated by Akira Ogawa and Simon Reever)