Lily of the Valley

2023/05/24

Takashi Harada

Director of Harada Dermatology Clinic, 1968 Medicine

After spending 38 years working at university hospitals, including the Department of Dermatology at Keio University, I retired at the age of 65. I hesitated about what to do after retirement, but feeling that I still had physical and mental energy left, I got ahead of what is now called "work-style reform" and opened a clinic with my wife, who is also an alumna. I rented a space in "Suzuran Kaikan," which is owned by the association of the historic Suzuran-dori Shopping Street located at the north exit of Kyodo Station on the Odakyu Line. It is truly community medicine, and many of the patients are elderly residents of the area. It has been 15 years since I opened the clinic, and quite a few people spot the tricolor logo or the shield featuring the Sanshokuki donated by the Keio University medical department and say things like, "Are you from Keio too, Doctor? I am also a graduate of the Juku," or "My grandchild entered Keio this year." In those moments, even if we were in different faculties, it feels like meeting an old classmate. The language of flowers for the lily of the valley (suzuran) includes "return of happiness," "humility," and "purity," and I have been able to spend my post-retirement life humbly, happily, and joyfully.

Akira Koizumi

Executive Director of Sapporo Mita-kai, 1970 Commerce

After graduating from the Juku, I joined a certain company, and my first assignment was in Sapporo. It is a city where plum, cherry, and kobushi magnolia blossoms all bloom at once during the May holidays.

Around the same time, slightly later, the lily of the valley (suzuran) flowers bloomed. At that time, the younger staff at the company were talking about how "you can go lily of the valley hunting at the Eniwa Self-Defense Forces base." They said, "We've been doing it for several years; we go lily of the valley hunting and give them to those being transferred that year," so I thought it was a nice idea and participated. It is said that the flower language of the lily of the valley is "happiness will return to the person who receives it," and they are given with a prayer that "happiness will find you in your new post as well."

Another memory is the 60th NHK morning drama series "Suzuran" in 1999. It was a story about a girl who faced many hardships, but I watched it because the cast included Isao Hashizume and Chieko Baisho, who are actors I love. I visited "Asamoe Station" (Ebishima Station), the station in the drama, about a dozen years ago when I moved to Sapporo. The simple station building from the coal era used for filming was still there.

Mariko Yoshida

Craft Artist, 2008 Policy Management

As a craft artist, I provide ideas so that childcare providers and parents can enjoy experiments and crafts with children in childcare settings and at home in a fun and relaxed way.

For the past seven years, I have had a column on "Hoi-Kuru," an information site for childcare workers. I introduce one play idea per week, and I devised my own method for coming up with new ideas. It is to ask the question, "What appearance would make this interesting? What would make children happy?" For example, in an experiment where thin strips of Suzuran Tape (plastic ribbon) stick to a child's hand due to static electricity, what appearance would make it interesting? The way the Suzuran Tape moves fluffily—it might be interesting if it were a ghost or an alien.

When I made eyes and a nose out of colored tape on a bundle of thinly shredded Suzuran Tape and hung it from the ceiling as an "alien," my son, who was six at the time, was delighted and "shook hands" with the alien many times. This is a way of thinking I would love for those with small children nearby to try.

Yoko Kumanoya

Professor, Faculty of Law, Keio University

In May, when the Russian forests are filled with sunlight, warmth, and the rustle of life, the white flowers of the lily of the valley bloom. Saying this likely reminds many of the Russian song "Suzuran" (Lily of the Valley), which the Dark Ducks once sang as "Landysh, Landysh." While this Japanese version depicts a maiden holding a lily of the valley (Landysh) to her chest from a male perspective, the original lyrics by Olga Fadeyeva are about a woman singing about her boyfriend, and it became a huge hit when it was released in 1958 with the beautiful voice of Gelena Velikanova. Composed by Oscar Feltsman, it remains a beloved song that still ranks in the "100 Songs Every Russian Knows."

"My" boyfriend is still young, probably poor and clumsy, and instead of roses or lilies, he gave "me" a modest bouquet of lilies of the valley. The lyrics continue, "Not flashy, not luxurious / A gentle scent / Full of a wonderful spring / Like a song without poetry / Like a first love / Like a first confession," and the chorus goes, "Lily of the valley, lily of the valley / Glowing May says hello / Lily of the valley, lily of the valley / A white bouquet." The lily of the valley is a symbol of early summer and of the youth of the two people.