Higanbana Facts, the Flower of Death that Often Appears in Anime

Higanbana flower or Spider Lily is often known as the flower of death.

The original name is Lycoris Radiata, this flower is often said to have come from Japan.

The fact is that this flower comes from China, Korea, and Nepal. Quoted from Japan Activator, Higanbana has many other names.

Hence, sometimes Higanbana is referred to as a flower with 600 names.

In Japan, this red flower is often considered a bad omen.

Symbolically, Higanbana means farewell. Another legend says this flower thrives on the road to hell.

This flower is also said to guide the deceased to reincarnation.

In Japanese tradition, this flower will be planted around the grave for days after the cremation process.

The goal is to prevent the cremated ashes from being eaten by wild animals because these flowers are known to be poisonous.

In addition, the bright color of this flower is believed to guide the souls of the deceased to the afterlife. With the closeness of Japanese culture and traditions, it is no wonder that this flower often appears in anime.

This flower especially appears in scenes that depict sadness or death.

One of the anime that clearly raised about this flower is Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

However, in the series, the flower alluded to is Blue Spider Lily or Blue Spider Lily.

This flower is being hunted by Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon King in the series.

This is seen especially in season 1.

Reporting from Kimetsu no Yaiba Fandom, Blue Spider Lily was used as medicine by the doctor who treated Muzan. However, when his condition worsened, Muzan actually killed the doctor.

It was then that he realized that Blue Spider Lily made his body strong and turned him into a demon.

However, after that he always failed to find the flower again.

After that, it was discovered that the Blue Spider Lily only blooms during the day with a duration of only two or three days for a year. This is why Muzan never found it.

Because as a demon is vampiric, he cannot be exposed to sunlight.

So, Muzan was determined to be able to survive in the sun.

He also hunted Nezuko, who was able to survive in the sun. So, during his life, he had two missions, namely to find the Blue Spider Lily and hunt down Nezuko.

In conclusion, Higanbana is called the flower of death because of Japanese beliefs and traditions.

The people there believe that the flower will guide the spirits of the dead to reincarnation.

Meanwhile, in the anime, the flower is shown as a symbol of sadness or death.