Lotus flowers, it is said, bloom with a pop. But scientists, who take a different view of the world from writers and artists, say there is no factual basis for this. So what is this sound that is no sound?
Should you be in Japan in July or August, wake before dawn - morning is the best time for observation - and head to a lotus pond near you.
Whether or not you hear that legendary sound, it's hard to remain unmoved when, in a sea of green, pink and white petals unfurl before you.
A Plant Harvested Since Ancient Times
An aquatic plant native to the Indian subcontinent, nelumbo nucifera has been cultivated for about 3,000 years for its seeds, rhizomes and flowers.
Known as ren or hasu in Japanese, lotuses can be found all over Japan, from Kyushu in the south to the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido. They are sometimes confused with suiren (睡蓮) - water lily - which also has the character for lotus (蓮) in its name.
Here's how to tell the two species apart: lotus leaves are round, larger and grow above the water. Suiren leaves are smaller, elliptical or heart-shaped, and lie on the water's surface. Similarly, lotus flowers rise clear of the water while suiren lilies bloom just above the surface and appear to float on it.
Generally blooming from mid-July to mid-August in Japan, lotus flowers can bear fruit with 10 to 30 seeds. Their powers of germination are astounding - seeds dating back more than 1,000 years have been successfully sprouted.
One of the oldest examples of this is the Gyoda lotus. About 2,000 years ago, the area around Kodai Hasu no Sato in Gyoda city, Saitama prefecture, was a wetland with a range of aquatic plants including lotus.
Some of the seeds sank deep underground, surfacing only in the early 1970s when construction for a public facility began. Water accumulated in the excavated area and lotuses began to grow in the pond. When samples were taken for analysis, radiocarbon dating showed them to be about 1,400 years old.
Today, this ancient lotus can be viewed, along with about 40 other varieties, at the park known as Kodai Hasu no Sato - Ancient Lotus Village.
The Sacred Flowers of Buddhism
As a symbol of purity, the lotus holds great significance in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
In Buddhism, the flower can represent the spiritual journey - just as the lotus grows out of muddy water into beautiful flowers, so too can human beings rise above their baser instincts to reveal their innate virtue.
The Lotus Sutra, one of the most well-known of Buddhist texts, teaches that all living beings have the capacity to become enlightened. In other words, all beings can become buddha: admittedly, a difficult concept to accept when daily life feels like a slog through mud.
Significance of Lotus Flowers in Japan
Lotus plants have long been revered in Japanese culture due to the influence of Buddhism.
Statues of deities such as Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, hold carved lotuses or sit on them. People who have passed away are referred to as buddhas, or hotoke-sama, and during the Obon festival, their family members put out offerings of food, sometimes on lotus leaves.
Bringing a touch of freshness to the table, kaiseki restaurants also use the leaves to serve up dainty morsels around this time of the year.
The lotus itself has been a food source since ancient times. Known mistakenly as lotus root, the underground stems, or rhizomes, are turned into tempura, soups and stir-fries as well as stewed or vinegared dishes.
The seeds are candied for amanatto confectionery or boiled for shiruko red bean soup. They are also steamed with glutinous rice in lotus leaves - a dish for traditional tea gatherings held to admire the blooms.
An almanac for tea ceremony practitioners, Chado Saijiki, has this to say for the month of July: 'Lotuses pop as they open at dawn. The lotus-listening party is a tea party to get intoxicated with delight in the noble aroma and to view the elegant flowers blooming among floating and rolled leaves. To take a boat onto the pond and open a tea box may be an idea; to view them quietly over a railing may be another. It does not have to be kaiseki but a drinking bout to go with good-smelling lotus rice should not be forgotten.'
Flower-viewing has been enjoyed in Japan for centuries, with sakura excursions being the most popular form of hanami today. While cherry blossom is widely sought for the pleasure it brings, there is something about lotuses - whether in bud or in full bloom - that inspires devotion.
Here are a few places where you can join the devotees for kanrensetsu - lotus viewing. Just remember that lotuses bloom in the early morning and close by noon: like other forms of devotion, lotus-listening means having to wake up early.
Hokongoin, Kyoto
Given the number of temples in Kyoto, it's hard to single out just one for lotus viewing. Strong candidates include Toji, Tofukuji, Gyogan-ji, Tenryu-ji, Dairen-ji and Mimurotoji.
But top billing must go to Hokongoin, widely recognized as one of the most beautiful temples in western Japan for flower-viewing.
It attracts visitors for its cherry blossoms, irises, hydrangeas, water lilies, camellias and, above all, for its lotuses.
Known as the Lotus Temple, it cultivates about 80 varieties and opens its doors two hours earlier in lotus season - from 7.30am - so that they can be enjoyed at their best.
Hanahasu Park, Fukui Prefecture
Tucked away in Fukui Prefecture, about 3.5 hours by train from Tokyo, is an area known as Hanahasu no Sato - Lotus Village.
It supplies about 60 per cent of the commercially grown lotus flowers in Japan and is also home to a vast park.
Unlike other lotus spots where visitors can photograph the flowers only from the periphery or from a boat, Hanahasu Park has paths running through the plants, allowing photographers to take close-ups with ease.
For wider shots, the surrounding mountains act as a breathtaking backdrop.
Thanks to the sheer size of the park, it doesn't feel crowded even during the weekends, making it a great place for undisturbed photography or peaceful walks in nature.
Sankeien, Kamakura Prefecture
An elegant garden in Yokohama city spanning 180,000 square meters, Sankeien is home to 17 historic buildings relocated from other parts of the country including Kyoto and Wakayama.
It was built by silk merchant and art collector Hara Tomitaro, also known as Sankei. When he opened the garden in 1906, he hung a handwritten sign at the entrance that said, 'Enjoy at your leisure'.
He was particularly fond of lotuses, which have become one of the main attractions of the garden.
During the annual lotus festival, held from July 19 to August 11 in 2025, visitors can also try their hand at making masks and fans from lotus leaves or extracting thread fiber from lotus stems.
If you visit, don't leave without checking out the lotus leaf showers. A showerhead is created by cutting all around the leaf and attaching the cut stem to a hose.
Once the tap is turned on, water will flow up into the stem and radiate from the hollow veins of the leaf - what better way to cool off in summer than to have a lotus leaf shower?
Shinobazu Pond, Tokyo
An unexpected oasis in the heart of the metropolis, Shinobazu Pond in Ueno Park actually consists of three sections: the Cormorant, Boat and Lotus ponds. (No prizes for guessing where the lotuses grow.)
A recommended viewing spot is the floating pier on the southern side of the pond. From the deck, visitors are surrounded by a sea of lotus flowers stretching out in all directions.
At the center of the pond is the island that houses the Benzaiten Hall, which was built as part of a temple completed in 1625. The island was designed to evoke Chikubushima in Biwako, the largest freshwater lake in Japan, which may also have been the source of the lotuses.
The pond was the site of a long-running debate over whether lotus flowers make a sound when they open. Botanist Oga Ichiro (1883-1965) held lotus-viewing events there from 1935 for more than 20 years, proving to the public that lotuses do indeed bloom in silence.
But in the spirit of investigation advocated by Buddhism, don't take his word for it - listen for yourself.
You may hear nothing when a lotus blooms, but maintaining awareness as you turn your attention to one thing will take you a state free from distraction.
Even if enlightenment does not happen in that moment, a seed has been planted, one with the magnificent ability to sprout eons later - and to bloom.
Written by Janice Tay