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Camellia Tea Ceremony

telling of autumn,
the scent of
kinmokusei
秋告げる香りはなってキンモクセ
-Saeko Takada (高田さえこ).

As autumn deepens the fragrance of sweet osmanthus, harbinger of Kyōto's finest season, gently hangs in the air.

#Kyoto #Japan #kinmokusei #金木犀 #京都 #sweetosmanthus #Tenryuji #Arashiyama

Kinmokusei, sweet osmanthus, defines the smell of early autumn in Kyoto.
Nao-san enjoys early autumn admiring the gardens at Tenryu-ji.
Tenryu-ji's gardens are filled with information boards about the names of flowers and plants.
Autumn at Tenryu-ji.
23 October at 0:53 | Open on mastodon.social
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Camellia Tea Ceremony

Kinmokusei (キンモクセ), in English known as sweet osmanthus, fragrant olive and tea olive, was brought to Japan from China in the Edo period.

The plant was used for both medical and culinary purposes, and also as a natural air freshener.

The flower symbolizes truth and nobility.

#sweetosmanthus #sweetolive #kinmokusei #キンモクセ #autumn #Kyoto #Japan

Kinmokusei in English is known as sweet osmanthus, fragrant olive and tea olive. Love it or hate it, It is one of the defining smells of Japan in early autumn time.
Kinmokusei in English is known as sweet osmanthus, fragrant olive and tea olive. Love it or hate it, It is one of the defining smells of Japan in early autumn time.
Kinmokusei in English is known as sweet osmanthus, fragrant olive and tea olive. Love it or hate it, It is one of the defining smells of Japan in early autumn time.
Kinmokusei in English is known as sweet osmanthus, fragrant olive and tea olive. Love it or hate it, It is one of the defining smells of Japan in early autumn time.
23 October at 1:17 | Open on mastodon.social
Camellia Tea Ceremony

For some people the smell of kinmokusei is intrinsically linked to the toilet and more foul smelling places, simply because the flower (with its powerful fragrance) acted as an early and cheap form of air freshener💩👃😫🌿🙌✨

#kinmokusei #金木犀 #Japan #Kyoto #sweetosmanthus

Zen toilet at Myoshin-ji.
Edo period toilet.
Tofuku-ji's old 'toilet hall'...a large structure that could 'host' dozens of monks at the same time.
An old style Japanese 'squatting' toilet.
23 October at 2:19 | Open on mastodon.social
Camellia Tea Ceremony

There are actually 3 varieties of 'mokusei' (木犀 'sweet olives'): kinmokusei (金木犀 osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus), the less fragrant ginmokusei (銀木犀 osmanthus fragrans var. fragrans), and the much less common usugimokusei (薄黄木犀 osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii).

#osmanthus #sweetolive #sweetosmanthus #kinmokusei #usugimokusei #ginmokusei

Kinmokusei is the most common of the 3 kinds of 'mokusei'.
The less fragrant 'ginmokusei'.
The less common 'usugimokusei'.
Kinmokusei in the grounds of Tenryu-ji.
23 October at 7:03 | Open on mastodon.social
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