Utagawa Hiroshige III
1877 (Meiji 10)
Donated by Tanba Tsuneo
The giant butterbur (Petasites japonicus) grows wild in Japan’s northern regions of Hokkaido and Tohoku, and the cultivated version of the wild plant is known as “Akita Butterbur.” The diameter of the leaf can grow to one meter (3.28 feet), and it can reach a height of two meters (6.56 feet). Its leaves were employed to take shelter from rain, and were also used for those riding horses as a type of umbrella. With its fleshy thickness and bitter taste, it is mostly eaten preserved in sugar.