In my view, Melastome, or Nobotan in Japanese, is among the most notable flowers which bloom during the rainy season in Amami, along with Iju (cf. the article of June 2008), Getto (a shell ginger) and Konronka. Nobotan flowers can be seen in the fields and mountains from mid-May to mid-July. The trees grow 1-2 meters tall. The light purple flower with five petals is very beautiful. Nobotan ranges from Amami southward, including Southeast Asia.

Isson Tanaka, a Japanese-style painter, must have observed this flower in his surroundings, especially on his favorite morning walks along the Funcha Pass. One of his masterpieces features Nobotan along with other flowers and butterflies.

I have a feeling that I was aroused my interest in Amami's nature through the late Mr. Tetsutaro Miyazaki who was a potter and a close acquaintance with Isson in his late years. Mr. Miyazaki once took me to a location on the Funcha Pass where Nobotans were in full bloom. I found I had often seen this flower (whose name I didn'nt know) in my boyfood but never thoght of it thereafter. Another unforgettable memory about Mr. Miyazaki is that he also took me deep in the moutains in Uken Village to show me full-blown Amami-seishika (cf. the article of April 2007).