A peculiar flower that resembles Darth Vader has just bloomed at the Kyoto Botanical Garden, causing rebels in the Kyoto metropolitan area to tremble in fear. With two deep pitted areas and a smaller one in the middle, as well as a bulbous cap with curled edges, it appears the Sith Lord has been reincarnated as a flower.
While technically called aristolochia salvador platensis, “Darth Vader Flower” just rolls off the tongue. The plant originates in the humid climates of Central America, but is able to thrive in the Kyoto Botanical Garden greenhouse. The Darth Vader Flower originated as a small seedling which was brought to Kyoto in March 2001 from Setsunan University in Osaka. The pint-sized flowers only grow to about 5 cm (2 in) and bloom for only a single week. If a hostile take-over is being planned for Kyoto, the Darth Vader flowers better get going quick, they only have six more days!
Source: MSN News Japan
Images: See more pictures, Garden of Eaden, Scifi Wikia
Darth Vader Head Planetarium Lulls You to Sleep Then Haunts Your Dreams
Buy this Star Wars PC featuring Darth Vader’s ugly mug, impress your nerdy friends
Niconico Video user crafts miniature violin-playing Darth Vader out of paper just because he can
Darth Vader makes Japanese pro baseball debut with killer home run 【Video】
Darth Vader in Death Star armour brandishes lightsaber katana, joins the Samurai force in Japan
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
Pokémon comes to McDonald’s Japan for new Happy Meals toys, brings every generation’s starters
Tokyo’s Haneda Airport airlines announce stricter luggage check-in deadline for domestic flights
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Is covering your entire upper body with cooling strips enough to fend off Japan’s summer heat?
Coco’s Japan is very confident in their chilled ramen, but should they be? [Taste test]
7-Eleven Japan rethinks convenience store sandwiches with a wild new choc-mint variety
Studio Ghibli’s No Face twirls to sound of Spirited Away’s theme song in beautiful accessory box
Toyota Museum’s international retro vehicle parade returns to Aichi this autumn
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever gacha capsule toys, featuring iconic menu items as plush coffee charms
7-Eleven Japan adds new chocolate fruit gummies to its sweets range, but are they worth the hype?
Kyoto receives more foreign tourists than ever before, but fewer visitors say they’ll return
7-Eleven Japan now offering baked-in-store pizza by the slice with two very different topping sets
Starbucks Japan opens new store inside historic seaside quarantine station near Tokyo
Foreign tourists in Japan eat far more rice than previously thought, according to new data
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Uniqlo looks back to the very start of Pokémon with new black-and-white pixel art T-shirts[Pics]
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
What do Kamen Rider and Darth Vader have in common? They’re both in this (insane) video!
Star Wars fever continues — we try out Darth Vader boots from UGG’s Star Wars Collection!
Awesome cardboard Darth Vader costume lets you become an eco-friendly Jedi villain【Video】
Samurai Darth Vader figure and his light-katana tempt us to the dark/awesome side of the force
Life-size gold Darth Vader mask is simply dazzling… and also worth US$1.4 million! 【Pics】
If Darth Vader owned an iPhone, he’d probably keep it in a stunning wooden ukiyoe Star Wars case
Beautiful flowers bloom just one day each at 500-year-old Kyoto temple, and they’re blossoming now