Botany Day

What Is Botany Day?

Every April 24th is "Botany Day" (植物学の日, Shokubutsugaku no Hi) in Japan, commemorating the birthday of Dr. Tomitaro Makino (牧野富太郎, 1862–1957) — Japan's most celebrated botanist. Born on April 24, 1862 (by the traditional Japanese calendar, in the second year of the Bunkyū era) in Sakawa, Tosa Province (present-day Kōchi Prefecture), Makino taught himself botany through voracious self-study, eventually cataloguing, naming, and illustrating over 2,500 plant species during a career that spanned more than seven decades.

The Life and Legend of Tomitaro Makino

Makino Tomitaro's passion for plants began in childhood, exploring the forests and fields of his native Kōchi. Without formal university education — he was largely self-taught — he began publishing detailed botanical illustrations and descriptions that astonished the academic world with their accuracy and depth. He eventually became a professor at Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo), despite lacking a formal degree — a remarkable testament to the depth of his expertise.

Makino collected a lifetime total of over 400,000 plant specimens, discovered and named dozens of new species, and published extensively on Japanese flora. He is credited with introducing scientific binomial nomenclature for Japanese plants and with producing the "Makino's Illustrated Flora of Japan" (牧野日本植物図鑑, 1940), still a foundational reference work in Japanese botany.

A Life Devoted Entirely to Plants

Makino's dedication to botany was total — and notorious. He notoriously neglected financial matters, falling deeply into debt at multiple points in his career as he invested all available resources into plant specimens, books, and research. He was rescued by supporters who recognized his irreplaceable contribution to Japanese science. He continued active botanical work until shortly before his death at the age of 94.

Makino's Legacy Today

In 2023, Makino's life was dramatized in the NHK morning drama "Ranman" (らんまん), which became one of the year's most popular programs and sparked renewed public interest in botany across Japan. The Kōchi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden (高知県立牧野植物園) preserves his specimens and cultivates the plants he studied. April 24th is a day to honor his spirit of curiosity and to notice, perhaps for the first time, the extraordinary plant life that surrounds us every day.

Fun Facts

• Named species: Makino named over 1,500 plant species and varieties; the genus Makinoa and numerous species bear his name in their scientific designations.
• "Father of Japanese Botany": Makino is universally referred to in Japan as the "Father of Japanese Botany" (日本の植物学の父).
• Yamatonadeshiko: Makino is credited with popularizing the name "Yamato Nadeshiko" (大和撫子) for the Japanese pink flower, a name that subsequently became a cultural shorthand for the ideal of traditional Japanese feminine beauty.