August 2nd is Herb Day | 5 Popular Herbs from Ogisawa Botanical Garden and Why Herbs Struggle in the Japanese Summer

I think there are probably quite a lot of people who have had herbs wither on them.

I have done it many times myself. Seedlings bought in the spring would start turning black from the lower leaves between June and July, and before I knew it, the center of the plant would be sparse. They would disappear during the summer.

For a long time, I thought it was because "the Japanese summer is too hot." But when I compared weather data, that didn't seem to be the case. The heat is actually not that different. The decisive difference was somewhere else.

August 2nd is "Herb Day." Since it's a special occasion, I'd like to start by talking about the origin of this anniversary and what a herb actually is, and finally introduce 5 popular herbs from Ogisawa Botanical Garden (Rakuten Ichiba store) in Nagano Prefecture. I have bought seedlings from this shop many times myself, and they are all highly recommended.

Please note that this article contains Rakuten Affiliate links.

The reason why August 2nd became "Herb Day"

Herb Day on August 2nd is an anniversary established by S&B Foods and registered with the Japan Anniversary Association.

The origin is simple: it is a pun on 8 (ha) and 2 (bu). According to a news release on July 14, 2017, it was established to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the fresh herb business that began in 1987.

The same release also mentions that the business started with 5 items and had exceeded 60 items by 2017. It means that it wasn't that long ago that we started being able to buy small packs of basil and rosemary at supermarket vegetable sections as a matter of course.

By the way, on August 2nd, "Hub Day" and "Harp Day" are also registered as anniversaries certified by the same Japan Anniversary Association. 8=ha, 2=bu/pu. It is somewhat interesting that three different anniversaries are born from the same pun.

What is a herb in the first place, and how should you enjoy it?

When people hear "herb," I think many imagine leaves used in cooking. Basil, rosemary, mint, cilantro. That was my image for a long time, too.

However, the Spice & Herb Research Institute of S&B Foods, which established the anniversary, prefaces its definition by saying that "there are various ways of thinking about it depending on the country and the expert," and introduces one of those perspectives as follows:

It's not just cooking. Gardening and crafts are clearly included.

Regarding the distinction from spices, the institute also states, "Generally, things that use seeds, fruits, roots, etc., are often called spices, and things that use leaves and flowers are often called herbs, but there are many exceptions, and it has become impossible to divide them unconditionally." The expert view is that it is not something that can be clearly drawn with a line.

The etymology is the Latin word herba, which means "grass" or "herb."

And how to enjoy them. The role of spices and herbs in cooking is mainly three things: "scenting," "spicing (adding heat)," and "coloring," and the institute explains that scenting is a function that almost all spices and herbs have.

To this, the way of enjoying them as gardening is added. Planting them in the garden and looking at them. Touching them to release their scent. Cutting them and putting them in a vase. Drying them to make dried flowers or potpourri. Covering the ground as a ground cover.

Of the 5 items I will introduce this time, the types used for cooking are actually only a small part. The rest are plants called "ornamental herbs" for enjoying their scent and appearance. The herb page of Ogisawa Botanical Garden also explains, "We display perennials, long-lived plants, and trees that have uses as herbs, including ornamental herbs," and stands by this position.

You may come across varieties where you think, "Is this really an herb?" but that is not a mistake; it is simply the breadth of what the word "herb" originally encompasses.

The reason herbs struggle in the Japanese summer is not the "heat," but the "rain."

This is the part I most want to convey.

Many herbs are native to the Mediterranean region and Europe. To see how hot their summers are, let's look at the August figures from the World Climate Normals (1991-2020) published by the Japan Meteorological Agency. I have also included Tokyo's normal values for comparison.

Look at the temperatures. Nice is only 2.4°C cooler than Tokyo. Madrid is only a 1.2°C difference. It is a bit different from the image that "European summers are cool," isn't it?

However, the precipitation is in a different world. Tokyo's August rainfall is 154.7mm. That is about 9 times more than Nice, about 15 times more than Madrid, and about 10 times more than Ankara. Even compared to Sofia, which has the most rain among the five, Tokyo still has 2.6 times more.

In other words, the reason the Japanese summer is tough for herbs is not because the temperature is high, but because it is just as hot while having much more rain.

Add humidity to this. The normal relative humidity in Tokyo in August is 74%. The soil does not dry out, and the air between the leaves does not dry out either. The center of the plant becomes stuffy, and it starts to rot from there. This is exactly what happened in my garden every year.

—This means the direction of our countermeasures is fixed: how to prevent moisture from stagnating around the plant.

The advice often written in gardening books—"plant in well-draining soil," "ensure good airflow," and "prune before the rainy season"—are not three separate practices, but all the same thing aimed at this one point. If it is in a pot, do not let water sit in the saucer; if planted in the ground, mound the soil slightly to plant it higher; prune back crowded branches boldly. Even if the expressions differ, what you are trying to do is the same.

The 5 items introduced in the second half of this article also display "Heat Tolerance: Strong/Normal," but it makes more sense to read this "Normal" not as meaning weak to heat, but as needing preparation for rain and humidity.

The difference between Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, where the seedlings are grown, and our gardens

Ogihara Botanical Garden is located in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. They started cultivating and selling plants in 1979, began importing mainly from Europe and the US around 1990, and started online sales in 1998. By 2013, they had handled over 4,000 types of perennials and wild grasses through mail order, making them a shop with a fairly long history as a specialty store for perennials.

This location, "Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture," is actually very compatible with herbs. Let's compare the August normals (1991-2020) for Ueda and Tokyo from the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The daytime heat is exactly the same at 31.3°C. Ueda is by no means a cool summer resort.

The difference is at night, where the daily minimum temperature is 3.0°C lower. And the annual rainfall is less than 60% of Tokyo's. An annual precipitation in the 900mm range is among the lowest in Honshu. It is hot during the day, cools down at night, and has little rain. It can be said that this place is quite close to the conditions of the herbs' homeland within Japan.

The shop's description states, "Although our cultivation and management site is in a high-altitude area, the temperature inside the cultivation facilities can exceed 40°C, but we do not use air conditioning," and "We grow them to be sturdy by getting them well-accustomed to the heat in the summer." This means the seedlings are not raised in an overprotected manner.

However, those seedlings arrive in our gardens. A place where the nights are 3°C warmer and it rains 1.6 times more. Even if the seedlings are grown to be sturdy, I think it is best to keep in mind that the environment changes the moment they arrive.

5 Popular Herbs from Ogihara Botanical Garden (as of August 2, 2026)

This is where the main topic begins.

I kept the selection method simple. These are the top 5 items from the 129 listed in the "Pickup Herbs" category at the Ogihara Botanical Garden Rakuten Ichiba store, ranked by the number of Rakuten reviews.

Rankings, prices, and stock levels fluctuate. Please read all figures as of August 2, 2026. All prices include tax.

Quick Reference Table by Type

1st Place: Calamintha | 440 yen, 408 reviews, 4.80 rating

This is the clear number one in the herb category, leading the second-place item by over 200 reviews. Furthermore, it was also number one in the store's overall weekly ranking (updated August 2, 2026, covering July 26 to August 1), not just among herbs.

Its best feature is undoubtedly the length of its flowering period. The store began selling it in 1996, and at their nursery in Nagano, it blooms for about six months, from June to December. Small white flowers bloom in abundance even in midsummer, and the color takes on a pale purple hue in the cooler temperatures of autumn, changing its appearance once again. When you touch the leaves, they release a refreshing scent similar to mint.

The management guide states that it is "strong" in both cold and heat resistance, and can thrive in both sunny and bright, semi-shaded areas. It requires almost no fertilizer and has no notable pests or diseases. I think it is a very easy variety to choose as your first plant.

If I had to mention a point of concern, it is that it grows quite long. It will continue to bloom if left alone, but its shape will become messy, so you need to cut it back, leaving 3 to 4 nodes after it has finished blooming. Since it grows quickly, it reportedly doesn't take long for it to bloom again after being cut back.

One more thing. The product page states that its humidity resistance is "average; it can tolerate it, but dislikes high heat and humidity." While it is hardy, it does not like stuffiness. The points from the previous section apply here as well.

2nd Place: Lamb's Ear | 330 yen, 245 reviews, 4.56 rating

True to its name, it is a representative ornamental herb with leaves covered in white, downy hair.

I have one at home. It is the leaf that my children always touch when they go out into the garden; it is truly fluffy. Even though it is a plant, it feels like a blanket, and having just one in the garden changes the atmosphere.

It is hardy, spreads well, and can grow in clusters to serve as a ground cover. Its silver leaves are excellent for highlighting other flowers and are often used as underplanting for roses. You can also use it for cut flowers or dried flowers, so the leaves you prune don't go to waste.

There are two points of concern. One is that its heat resistance is "average," meaning that in warmer regions, you need to ensure good ventilation and drainage. The precipitation in August in Ankara, in the interior of Turkey where it originates, was 15.0 mm. That is one-tenth of Tokyo's. You need to compensate for this difference by choosing the right planting location.

The other point is that it spreads more than you might imagine. It has a spread of 50 to 80 cm. If you plant it in a small flower bed with other plants, they will soon be crowding each other out. When its shape becomes messy or after it flowers, cut it back as short as possible. This will cause small, soft buds to emerge densely, and it will look neat again.

*Since Ogihara Botanical Garden appears to be sold out, I will introduce "Minna no Hanayasan Honoka" instead.

3rd Place: Lavender 'Grosso' | 550 yen, 244 reviews, 4.80 rating

There is a vast number of lavender varieties, and it is one of the plants most prone to "melting" in the Japanese summer. Among them, Grosso is treated as a representative of the Lavandin group, which is known for its heat tolerance.

According to the store's description, it is the variety most frequently inquired about by landscaping professionals, and it is one of the few types of lavender that prefers cool climates but can still be grown in areas with extreme heat. It has a strong fragrance, and not only the flowers but also the leaves are aromatic. It can be dried and used for lavender sticks or potpourri, making it suitable for those who want to harvest and use it.

The same page also mentions that it is said to be the most cultivated lavender in the world for oil production due to its hardiness, strong fragrance, and high yield (since this is an expression used in the store's introduction, it is best to take it as hearsay).

There are three points of concern.

The first is cold hardiness, which is −8°C to −12°C. Among the five items here, this is the variety most sensitive to low temperatures. That said, I don't think it will be an issue in the flatlands of Honshu.

The second is size. It is a large lavender that eventually reaches a spread of about 1 meter. It is not suitable for those who want to grow it in a small pot. Growth is slow, so it won't reach that size immediately, but I think it's better to decide on the planting location in advance.

The third point is that the shop itself explicitly states that while its heat tolerance is "strong," it can weaken in high humidity during high temperatures. It can withstand heat, but not stuffiness. The same applies here.

*Since Ogihara Botanical Garden seems to be sold out, I am introducing "Flower Net Japan Kaki Ryutsu" instead.

4th Place: Blue Catmint 'Walker's Low' | 440 yen, 186 reviews, 4.58 rating

I have this one at home as well. It was also ranked 4th in the shop's overall weekly ranking (also as of the update on August 2, 2026).

Silvery leaves with blue-purple flowers. This combination is refreshing and works very well in a summer flower bed. The leaves have a cinnamon-like scent.

Catmint itself is a herb that has long been used for medicinal and culinary purposes, but this variety is highly regarded for its appearance in the garden. Conventional catmint tends to spread horizontally and bloom in a drooping manner, often leaving the center of the plant looking sparse. 'Walker's Low' has upright flower stems, so it forms a fluffy, dome-like shape. The flowers are also significantly larger than the original species, and the color is deeper. It is an improved variety that has even won international awards.

From actually growing it, I think it has a high level of perfection as a "supporting actor" for roses and other perennials. It doesn't take center stage, but makes its surroundings look beautiful. The flowering period is also long, working for you from early summer to autumn.

A point of concern is that it tends to grow long. It is a plant that assumes you will cut it back short near the base and fertilize it after it has finished blooming so that it will grow and bloom again. Conversely, because it can be cut back and regenerated beautifully even if it gets stuffy or damaged, it is a variety that is easy to recover from failure.

5th Place: Oregano rotundifolium | 330 yen, 176 reviews, 4.68 rating

Finally, this is the variety in this article that I want you to "read with caution."

Its name is "Oregano," but it is not the oregano used in cooking. The product page also clearly states this:

Its trade name is "Flowering Oregano." It is a variety where you enjoy the unique appearance of lime-green bracts layered over one another, with small pink flowers peeking out from the gaps. If you buy it intending to use it for pizza or tomato dishes, your purpose will be mismatched.

If you treat it as an ornamental plant, it is quite a cute one. The shop started selling it in 1998, and its popularity has not waned since. With a plant height of 10–20 cm, it is compact and suitable for pot cultivation, hanging baskets, and container gardens. It can also be used for cut flowers and dried flowers.

Note that there is a similar popular species called 'Kent Beauty,' but rotundifolium is its parent variety. The difference is that the bracts are slightly larger and greener. By the way, 'Kent Beauty' has 171 reviews and is 6th in this ranking. There is almost no difference.

Points of concern are that its heat tolerance is "average" and that it assumes you will cut it back drastically from the base after flowering (leaving about 1–2 nodes is fine). If you perform this cutback, new shoots will emerge again, and you can enjoy it for a long period.

Comparing the five side-by-side

The cold and heat tolerance ratings are a common scale used by Ogihara Botanical Garden for all their products. The store's definitions are as follows.

• Cold tolerance 'High' means it can overwinter outdoors in most regions (approximately -20°C or lower).

• Heat tolerance 'High' means the plant is resistant to heat. 'Medium' means that in warmer regions, you need to take measures such as keeping it in a cool place during the summer. 'Low' means it is difficult to survive the summer in warmer regions and is better suited for cold regions.

For flatlands in warmer regions, the three that are relatively easy to grow without failure are Calamintha, Lavender 'Grosso', and Blue Catmint, all of which have 'High' heat tolerance. Lamb's Ear and Oregano rotundifolium are rated 'Medium', so I recommend approaching them with the mindset of carefully choosing where to plant them.

Another thing you notice when looking at the table is the difference in plant spread. Oregano rotundifolium is 20–30 cm, while Lavender 'Grosso' is 60–100 cm. Even though they are both 'one plant', the area they occupy in the garden differs by nearly tenfold. I recommend filtering them by the size of your planting space before adding them to your cart.

3 things you should know before buying

These are the things I think about every time I actually place an order.

The minimum order amount is 2,200 yen including tax. Even if you buy all 5 of these items, it won't be enough to place an order.

Ogihara Botanical Garden has a minimum order amount. The total cost of items must be 2,000 yen (2,200 yen including tax) or more. The reason is clearly stated: it takes time to collect and pack the plants, and the number of orders that can be shipped in a single day is limited.

And the total for these 5 items is 440 + 330 + 550 + 440 + 330 = 2,090 yen. It is 110 yen short.

Even if you add them to your cart intending to buy all 5, the calculation shows that the order will not go through as is. You should add one more plant, or combine it with pots or supplies. By the way, if you add the 6th place item, 'Kent Beauty' (330 yen), it becomes 2,420 yen and meets the requirement.

Shipping costs range from 850 to 1,790 yen depending on the region. Sometimes it can be more expensive than the cost of the items.

Shipping costs include tax and vary by region. It is 850 yen for Southern Tohoku, Kanto, Koshin-etsu, Hokuriku, and Tokai; 950 yen for Northern Tohoku and Kansai; 1,050 yen for Chugoku and Shikoku; and 1,150 yen for Hokkaido, Northern Kyushu, and Southern Kyushu. Okinawa is the most expensive, with a shipping cost of 1,790 yen.

Since items are shipped together in one batch, you only pay for shipping once, no matter how many items you buy. And if the total cost of items is 10,000 yen (11,000 yen including tax) or more, shipping is free. They state that there are no additional shipping fees for remote islands or certain other areas.

If you buy 5 items in the Kanto region, it costs 2,090 yen + 850 yen = 2,940 yen. Shipping accounts for a little less than 30% of the total. Since the structure makes buying just one plant the most wasteful way to shop, it is more rational to order after you have gathered everything you want.

The seedling season is spring and autumn. August is a good month to 'decide'.

This might be the most important thing.

The store's guide states, 'We prepare many seedlings to match the seasons of spring (March to May) and autumn (late September to November),' and 'During other times, many items will be out of stock.' In fact, looking at the herb category, there were quite a few varieties marked as sold out as of August 2nd.

Furthermore, it is also written about planting:

A notice titled "Regarding Summer Shipping [Important Points]" was also released on July 12, 2026. This means that for the shop, midsummer is not a period of normal operations.

All five items mentioned here were in stock as of August 2, 2026, and showed the earliest delivery date as August 6th if ordered by 5:00 PM. It is not that you cannot buy them. However, planting the delivered seedlings into a flower bed in the middle of the day during this heat is a gamble with a low success rate.

That is why I believe Herb Day should be a "day for deciding." Decide which herbs to plant and where in the garden. Consider how much space they will take up and which ones can live together. Decide on these things now, and place your order for the season starting from late September when it gets cooler. Since perennials are plants that come back every year once planted, the cost of waiting a month and a half is much smaller than the cost of letting them wither.

Of course, this does not apply to those who have an environment where they can manage them in pots or those who live in cooler regions. Even in those cases, it is safer not to place them in the scorching sun immediately upon arrival, but to keep them in a bright, shaded area with good airflow for a few days before deciding on their permanent location. Before ordering, do not forget to check the shop's order and shipping calendar for any holidays.

Summary

There is only one thing I wanted to convey in this article. The reason herbs struggle in the Japanese summer is not because of the heat, but because of the rain. Therefore, what we need to do can also be narrowed down to one thing: do not let water stagnate around the base of the plant.

Well-draining soil, a well-ventilated location, and pruning before the rainy season—these three practices often found in gardening books are not separate methods, but all aim at this one point. Once you understand this, you will be able to judge for yourself what needs to be done for the plant in front of you.

With that in mind, I believe what you can do on a day like today is not to buy, but to decide. Where in the garden to plant which herb. Look at the plant's spread, check the heat tolerance information, and consider the planting location. It is fine to actually put them in the ground in the autumn.

—Why not make August 2nd a day for doing just that?

Sources and References

• S&B Foods July 14, 2017 News Release "August 2nd is 'Herb Day'"

• Japan Anniversary Association List of Certified Anniversaries (August 2nd)

• S&B Foods Spice & Herb Research Institute "What are Spices and Herbs?"

• Japan Meteorological Agency Past Weather Data Search Normal Values (Tokyo/Ueda / 1991-2020)

• Japan Meteorological Agency World Weather "Normal Values for Major Locations" (Nice, Madrid, Ankara, Sofia / 1991-2020)

• Ogihara Botanical Garden Rakuten Ichiba Store Product Pages and Shop Information (as of August 2, 2026)

Product prices, stock levels, review counts, and rankings are as of August 2, 2026. These are subject to change, so please be sure to check the product page before purchasing. Descriptions regarding cultivation are based on information from each product page and the common notations of Ogihara Botanical Garden.

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