Japanese Chrysanthemums: Varieties, Exhibitions, and the Flower You Can Eat

Wakiku and Yōgiku: Two Different Traditions of Cultivation

The chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum morifolium, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the aster family that blooms mainly in autumn in Japan. Varieties are divided into two large groups by origin. Wakiku (和菊) were bred in Japan as ornamentals, for viewing the whole plant or a single large flower, while yōgiku (洋菊) were bred in Western Europe — they are more compact and better suited to cut flowers and potted sales. Today, commercial floriculture in Japan mainly grows yōgiku, while wakiku remain the concern of hobbyists and exhibition gardeners.

Tube Petals and Spoon Petals: Forms of the Exhibition Bloom

Among large-flowered varieties, petal shape is distinguished separately. In kudamono (管物), petals are rolled into narrow tubes and radiate from the center like rays; in atsumono (厚物), many broad petals pile densely toward the center like a cap; and in ichimonji (一文字), there is a simple single row of flat petals. These names are used specifically for exhibition large-flowered forms, not for chrysanthemums in general.

菊: The Character That Came to Japan with the Flower

菊 — значение: chrysanthemum — онъёми: キク — 11 штрих(ов). 菊 — 'chrysanthemum': the top is the radical 艹 'grass', and the bottom is the old character 匊, which once meant 'to scoop with both hands' and simply indicated the reading. The word entered Japanese along with the plant itself from China, so it has no native Japanese reading — only the borrowed 'kiku'.

When the Flower and Its Name Came from China

The plant came to Japan from China along with its name — by various estimates, no later than the Nara period or at the very beginning of the following Heian period. The name was not translated, nor was a Japanese word chosen for it; instead, the Chinese sound was adopted entirely, along with the character. The character itself is structured as a hint: 艹 on top indicates it is a plant, and the lower part 匊 indicated the sound. Thus 'kiku' became established in the language — a word that sounds so familiar it seems native.

Write 菊 along the guides — the character for chrysanthemum, which entered Japanese along with the flower itself.

Longevity, a Court Reception, and Farewell with White Flowers

In Japan, the chrysanthemum has come to signify longevity and health — this motif came from China along with the plant itself. On the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, the Chōyō festival (重陽), 'double ninth,' was celebrated. At the Heian court it was also called the Chrysanthemum Festival and was observed until the Meiji era; today it continues as a reception in the imperial garden with viewing of autumn flowers. The same flower is associated with the crest of the Japanese imperial house, but that is a separate topic, not about the plant as such.

Farewell with White Chrysanthemums

The same flower also has a sorrowful meaning in Japan: white chrysanthemums are brought as farewell flowers to funerals and graves, as in many other East Asian countries. This is an everyday, non-religious usage, and in the cut-flower market such chrysanthemums are the most common and largest segment of demand, not a rarity for a special occasion.

Where to See the Flower: Exhibitions, Greenhouses, and Growers' Fields

The peak of chrysanthemum season in Japan is the second half of autumn: then exhibitions of large-flowered varieties are held at temples and parks, and in some places kikuningyō are also shown — life-size dolls 'dressed' in living flowers instead of fabric. The tradition appeared at the end of the Edo period in the Somei area of then-Edo, and today one of the largest such displays takes place in the city of Nihonmatsu in Fukushima Prefecture.

Year-Round Thanks to Greenhouse Lighting

Out of season, chrysanthemums are always available in Japanese shops thanks to the technique of denshōgiku (電照菊): plants in greenhouses are given supplemental light during dark hours, shifting flowering to the desired date. The first experiments were conducted in Toyohashi before the war, and in 1947 full-scale production began there. Today about a third of all such chrysanthemums come from greenhouses on the Atsumi Peninsula, where the method took hold. According to Japan's Ministry of Agriculture for 2025, the chrysanthemum remains the country's most shipped cut flower by volume — ahead of ornamental branches and roses.

FAQ

What are Japanese chrysanthemums?

A perennial plant, Chrysanthemum morifolium, grown in Japan according to two different traditions. Wakiku (和菊) of Japanese breeding are valued for the form of the whole plant and large exhibition blooms. Yōgiku (洋菊) of Western breeding are compact varieties for cutting and potted sales year-round.

What does the chrysanthemum symbolize in Japan?

Above all, longevity and health — a meaning that came from China along with the plant itself and the Chōyō festival of the lunar calendar. The same flower also has a sorrowful use: white chrysanthemums are brought as farewell flowers to funerals, a common, not rare, practice.

How is 'chrysanthemum' written in Japanese?

菊, read as きく (kiku) — in only one way, without a kun reading: the word entered Japan from China along with the plant itself and was not translated. The character consists of the radical 艹 'grass' on top and the old character 匊, which once meant 'to scoop with both hands' and indicated the sound.

Can you eat chrysanthemums?

Yes, but not just any — only special edible varieties like enmeiraku, known as 'motte no hoka': the petals are eaten, added as a garnish to sashimi or sprinkled in soy sauce for color and aroma. According to 2016 data, most such chrysanthemums are grown in Yamagata Prefecture, and small varieties for garnish in Aichi.

When do chrysanthemums bloom in Japan?

In open ground — in autumn, when temple and park exhibitions are also held. Chrysanthemums are available for sale all year thanks to denshōgiku (電照菊) — greenhouses where plants are given supplemental light during dark hours, shifting flowering to the desired date; the method has been used since 1947.

How do Japanese chrysanthemums differ from ordinary garden ones?

Japanese breeding, wakiku, developed over centuries as ornamental gardening for the form of the whole plant and huge exhibition blooms up to 20–30 cm, with shaping and staking. Western garden chrysanthemums, yōgiku, were bred for a different purpose — reliable compact cut flowers and potted plants for sale.

Sources

• Kotobank: 菊 — meanings of the word and plant
• Japan's Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF): 'Which cut flower is shipped the most'
• Japanese Wikipedia: キク — varieties, history, Chōyō festival
• Kotobank: キク