Photo= Large flowered "Byodo-in Basu" lotuses are blooming against the Phoenix Hall (Byodo-in Temple, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture)

Ancient lotuses called "Byodo-in Basu," meaning Byodo-in Temple's Hasu, or lotus, which were cultivated with seeds excavated from the precincts, have just bloomed at Byodo-in Temple, a world heritage site, in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture. The large, translucent white lotuses shine against "Ho-o-do," or the Phoenix hall, conveying a sense of the Heian Period, and charming visitors.

Byodo-in Basu were germinated from a seed, which was found in a stratum of the late Edo Period during the excavation of the Aji-ike Pond in front of the Phoenix Hall in 1999. The flowers have continued to bloom every year since 2001.

Characteristically, the tips of the buds have a slight red tinge, but they are pure white upon blooming. The petals are so thin that their veins can be seen. In a gentle rain on the morning of June 28, the raindrops wetting the flowers added even more coolness.

Monsho Kamii, the chief priest, said, "The lotuses are so neat that they create a stir in our hearts. We want people to enjoy their history and beauty."

There are fifty-five pots for lotuses, including 14 pots for Byodo-in Basu, on display in the precincts. Most flowers bloom early in the morning and close up by noon. They will reach their peak around early July.