1.
willow, willow tree
A deciduous tree of the genus Salix, characterized by its long, slender, drooping branches. Common along rivers and waterways in Japan, and a traditional symbol in Japanese art and literature.
Cultural note
柳 is a common motif in Japanese art, poetry, and ghost stories. In traditional imagery, drooping willows by water create an atmospheric, slightly eerie mood, and ghosts (幽霊) are often depicted beneath willow trees.
Proverb
柳の下にいつも泥鰌はいない — "There isn't always a loach under the willow." Meaning: just because you had luck once in a certain way doesn't mean you can repeat it.
The 柳 is also associated with suppleness and flexibility, as in the expression 柳に風 (willow in the wind), meaning to let things roll off you without resisting.
Related Words
Compare:
枝垂れ (weeping (tree))