Emperor Shōwa and Nasu
Emperor Shōwa (1901–1989), a nature lover from a young age, stayed one or two months every summer at the Nasu Imperial Villa. During these stays, he would conduct plant surveys while strolling through the estate’s forests. The results of his research were compiled into four volumes titled The Plants of Nasu and published between 1962 and 1985.
When collecting plants, Emperor Shōwa was careful not to disturb their natural habitats. If a tiny plant caught his interest, he asked whether other samples of it grew in the area. If the plant was the only one of its kind, he refrained from collecting it and instead simply observed it. The Emperor had a deep respect and appreciation for all of nature. One of the Emperor’s attendants once referred to a certain plant as a weed, but Emperor Shōwa gently rebuked him, saying, “There’s no such thing as a weed.”