Updated by: May 11, 2026
There’s a Pink Japanese Camellia flowering in my Garden
In Japan, it’s known as ‘Tsubaki’ — one of the most sacred flowers in Japanese culture. It was associated with the gods, used in Shinto rituals, and the Samurai had a complex relationship with it. Because the camellia drops whole rather than petal by petal, it was seen as representing a noble death. But it also symbolized the divine, and the sun. A flower that contains both endings, and light, simultaneously.
My wife recently bought me a book called ‘Yoshuku’ — about the Japanese art of pre-celebrating the things you want to manifest in your life. I’m also reading ‘One Flash of Lightning,’ which explores the Bushido code, and in particular. Chi — the practice of enhancing wisdom by deliberately broadening your knowledge.
I have technically been to Japan once. A layover on Japan Airlines, so I’m not sure if that counts?
But I’m using Yoshuku and Chi in combination — pre-celebrating a proper visit and widening the knowledge that will make it a meaningful one, when it arrives.
I’ll report back if I start seeing flowering camellias everywhere…
Paul Mercuri
Wake Up Here Founder
