Yamabuki

Japanese kerria (Kerria Japonica)

April (in Nagoya)

Double-flowered yamabuki
(No fruits/All stamens become petals)		 Single-flowered yamabuki
(graniferous: 5 fruits/flower)		 Single-flowered white yamabuki.
(graniferous/you see one of four black fruits in this pic)



Here is a very famous waka (31-syllabl Japanese poetry) written by Prince Kaneakira (Kaneakira Shinno 兼明親王)
found in Goshui-Wakashu 後拾遺和歌集 anthology of waka poems copleated in 1086.

七重八重　
花は咲けども　山吹の
実の（蓑）一つだに
無きぞ悲しき
Nanae Yae
Hana wa Sakedomo
Yamabuki no
Mi no (Mino) Hitotsu dani
Naki zo Kanashiki

[Mi in "Mi no" means fruits]
[no in "Mi no" is particle]
[Mino means a straw raincoat]		 Yamabukli blooms with a wealth of petals;
However yet in spite of this,
Sad to say, bears no fruits (straw raincoat)


Mino蓑(straw raincoat) &
Kasa笠(conic hat)


In this poetry, there is a kakekotoba or pivot words "Mino" which used as a rhetorical device.
First on the literal level "Mi" in "Mi no/実の"means fruit, then on subsidiary homophonic level "Mino/蓑" means straw raincoat.

According to the explanation of his poetry, he said that....
When I was in his villa, someone came to rent a straw raincoat (mino).
Instad of lending a raincoat, I handed a branch of yamabuki.
The following day, that person came to ask the meaning of that.
So, I composed a poetry and give him it.
It means....
There are many beautiful double-flowered yamabuki blossoms in my garden.
But, I am sorry, I don't have any raincoat (mino) just like yamabuki have no fruits (mi)
That is to say, Prince Kaneakira asked the visitor a sophisticated riddle.

This poetry was very cool and future generation had been loved it.

********

Here is also very famous episode about Ota Dokan 太田道灌(1432-1486), popular general in the Muromachi Period.　
One day, he made a hunting trip and was caught in a sudden shower.
He rushed into a shabby dwelling and shouted to lend him a straw raincoat.
A young girl appered and gave him a branch of yamabuki without saying anything.
Dokan got angry and returned home in the rain.
In that night, he told the story to his follower.
Then, he explain the story of the poetry of Prince Kaneakira and infered that the girl compared poverty to the blossom of yamabuki and wanted to say
"I am so sorry, but I am poor and doesn't have any raincoat."
Dokan was shocked to hear that and ashamed lack of wit.
After that he started to learn waka poetry.