April 30th, 2025-May 4th is Spring-Last stage of SEIMEI (Pure and clear)-18th Peonies bloom.” The 18 KOU is the end of the KOKUU period, which also means the end of spring. The BOTAN (peony) that blooms at this time of year is a flower that heralds the transition from spring to summer. Each BOTAN flower only blooms for one week. So, in the SHICHIJYUNI-KOU calendar, summer will have arrived when BOTAN flowers finish blooming.
This year, I visited SEISUIJI Temple (WAKAHO, NAGANO City) again. This temple is affectionately known as the “BOTAN Temple.”
Unfortunately, there was only one BOTAN that the flowers were blooming. The blooming was late last year, but it’s even later this year. A BOTAN I found at a house close to the temple were in full bloom! Each of them has its own property.
Along the road to the temple, there are a row of street lamps with signs reading “BOTAN Village.” The school emblem of a nearby elementary school has a BOTAN flower.
