Does the character Kikyo in the anime Inuyasha represent the Korean bellflower?

Hello! Are you familiar with the nostalgic anime "Inuyasha", a Japanese anime that was also popular in Korea? Kikyo (Kikyō), the Japanese name for Kagome's past life and Inuyasha's first love, means "Platycodon grandiflorum" or "balloon flower." The flower language of the Platycodon grandiflorum is said to represent "unchanging love, eternal love." It's a meaning that suits the character Kikyo well, isn't it?

Has this sparked your interest in Platycodon grandiflorum? Let's learn more about it.

Platycodon grandiflorum belongs to the Campanulaceae family and is distributed in Korea, Japan, and China, among other places. It's a flower that can be easily found in mountains and fields across the country. The flowers come in purple and white. The flowers are beautiful, but did you know that the roots are very bitter? After all, it's one of the common dishes served in school meals, restaurants, and homes.

Since ancient times, the roots of Platycodon grandiflorum have been used as food and medicine. Just like drinking Platycodon grandiflorum juice when you have a cold, it has shown effectiveness in relieving sore throats.

Do you remember the folk song, ‘Platycodon grandiflorum, Platycodon grandiflorum, white Platycodon grandiflorum, in the deep mountains, white Platycodon grandiflorum, even if you dig up only one or two roots, it overflows the large basket.’? Apparently, white Platycodon grandiflorum is quite rare. Platycodon grandiflorum with white flowers is called white Platycodon grandiflorum, those with double flowers are called double Platycodon grandiflorum, and white double Platycodon grandiflorum is called white double Platycodon grandiflorum.

According to the Platycodon grandiflorum flower legend, there's a story of a girl named Platycodon grandiflorum who kept waiting for a young man, and her soul transformed into a Platycodon grandiflorum flower. There's also a story where siblings went to the mountains and both fell to their deaths, and they turned into Platycodon grandiflorum flowers. Perhaps the first legend is the reason why it has the flower language of eternal love and unchanging love.

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