Oriental Paperbush in Full Bloom in Japan’s Shikokuchuo, Ehime Prefecture

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:06 JST, March 29, 2026

SHIKOKUCHUO, Ehime — Yellow flowers of the oriental paperbush, known in Japanese as mitsumata, have reached their peak in the Shingu district of Shikokuchuo, Ehime Prefecture. The plant is a primary raw material for traditional washi paper.

The oriental paperbush is a deciduous shrub in the Daphne family. Its Japanese name, mitsumata (three forks), refers to the way its branches split into three at each node. Small yellow flower clusters, measuring about 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter, are now blooming at the tips of these branches.

The Shingu district has been a major site for the cultivation of the plant since the Meiji era (1868–1912). The blossoms are currently coloring the hillside fields in vibrant yellow, swaying gently in the spring breeze.