Asian & Japanese Flower Meaning

There are only a few people today that know that there have existed a language of flowers in the western world and most probably none of them have any idea that the same thing also existed in the Far East. The Asian flower meaning was not widely known but very commonly used during its peak of popularity, just as in Europe it was mostly considering being soft of a game among nobility. Today it is lost, just as the western flower meaning but is working its way back into the general public.

Asian & Japanese flower meaning – History

The Asian and Japanese flower meaning was imported from Europe about 1870 together with a lot of other European traditions and customs. A language of flowers was appealing to the mystic and philosophical culture that is East Asia and quickly became popular among the nobility, monks and scholars, even more popular than in the western world at the time. Originally the language of flowers came from old Arabic customs which then were brought to Europe by the king of Sweden, Karl XII, in 1714. The language of flowers became an instant hit among the noblemen and women living in the Victorian era, making it sort of a game among the younger nobilities and gave the possibility for one to express everything they felt solely through the use of flowers.

Asian & Japanese flower meaning – Hanakotoba

The Japanese flower meaning is more commonly known as Hanakotoba, literary meaning “flower word”. Although directly imported from Europe the Hanakotoba differs some from the European language of flowers simply because there exists another variety of flowers in East Asia than in Europe. New meanings had to be invented for the flowers that only grew in the Far East and these meanings were commonly connected to the Asian culture. Also, although the same some other flora and fauna got a new meaning since they have always had a meaning in ancient Asian mythology. Pine for example, which means pity in the European language of flowers has always been a symbol for eternity due to its evergreen properties, thus having the same meaning in the Japanese flower meaning. Hanakotoba is simply an European custom that have been adapted for Japan and its own customs.

Asian & Japanese flower meaning – Usage in modern times

Today the Asian flower meaning has lost its importance and usage just as in the western world. It simply went out of stile as society changed and did not have the same appeal as when love, friendship and hatred was something best shown in secrecy. Although mythology and customs always have been of great importance for East Asian cultures the language of flowers, imported from Europe, was not important enough to keep. Although some in Japan still knows of Hanakotoba it is nothing that they practice or know any details about. Other than that the common knowledge is pretty much as it is in the western world