A meeting with Japanese CPers

Fernando Rivadavia (ss69615@ecc-xs09.hongo.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp)
Thu, 3 Oct 1996 11:12:47 +0900 (JST)

Last Saturday I finally met with a few local CPers. after almost 6
months since I arrived in Japan. I went to Isao-san's house together with
Sodekawa-san. There I also met Nakagawa-san, who lives nest to Isao-san.
The latter and Isao-san maintain a beautiful joint CP collection
in a big greenhouse next to their tomato greenhouses (in fact, delicious
mini-tomatoes!!). The first and most exciting CP I saw was Pinguicula
filifolia, a fantastic species from Cuba which looks more like a Drosera
filiformis! And it was in flower too!! I was also amazed with their large
and beautiful B.gigantea which were also in flowered. I'd seen this
species before, even in flower, but never such nice ones. I'd even seen
them in the wild with Allen Lowrie in July 93, but they were quite ugly
then.
We spent most of the afternoon seeing pictures and books. Isao-san
has several copies of Ms.Shibata's pictures of CPs in Venezuela as well
as a fantastic collection of CP books, including the new Japanese one he
mentioned 2 days ago, which he most kindly gave me as a present. Yes,
Isao-san, there were errors, but I can only remember 2: the purple flower
of a G.pygmaea (which was really some Utric) and the picture of
D.sessilifolia in Venezuela (which was of some other species, maybe that
new D.hirticalyx). He also had a French book which I had never seen (by 2
authors whose names I can't remember), probably new, and which had the
absolutely most fantastic CP photos I've ever seen!!! Now that was what I
call GOOD photography!! I remember one very well which showed a Drosera
tentacle. Yet it was so close and so clear that you could even see
individual cells!!!
Anyways, I had a fantastic day and was treated with such kindness
as only the Japanese are able to express, and arrived home full of lovely
presents. Thanks tons to Isao-san, Nakagawa-san, and Sodekawa-san once
again! Hope we can meet again soon!

Best Wishes,

Fernando Rivadavia
Tokyo, Japan