Plant identification

[soulasphil]

Can anyone tell me anything about these bushes photographed in Japan this spring. As far as I can tell, the name on the label doesn't seem to correspond to anything. I'd be very grateful for any information.

 

[OldGeezerWNC]

Hey just a guess here, but it looks like a Japanese Snowbell to me.
Styrax Japonicus, I'm pretty sure it's in the Styrax family, did you smell it? When it's dried it's ground and then pressed into molds and used as a sweet base for lots of different incenses. But it also looks like a Halesia, which is also called a Snowbell but also called Silverbells. The yellow center is throwing me a little. I've seen white and light pink, but if it's in Japan then they might have been doing some mutant dna transmorgiphying, ya know like in Godzilla...... just teasing. Old Geezer Rick in WNC

 

[soulasphil]

Thanks a lot for the information. Unfortunately, I didn't smell it. But had never seen anything like it.

 

[soulasphil]

Sorry, I got through all I could find on the styrax family (I had never heard about it before) and it is definitely not the same plant. The nearest is styrax afficinalis but the bush is too tall and the flowers are not grouped in the same way. Hope we will finally discover what it's called.

 

[soulasphil]

Another puzzling sight. What are those trees photographed in Japan?
Are they artificially made to take on this peculiar shape ? Are they being prepared to have the long reaching limbs seen in traditional paintings ?