Wildflowers telling the arrival of spring in Japan

What's this strange purple flower?  It is called "Zazen-so".  This name came from the unique appearance that reminds us of the image of a monk sitting in meditation.

It grows in wetlands in cool temperate mountainous regions, and blooms from late January to mid-March. Its southern limit of distribution in Japan is Shiga Prefecture where I live.

Recently, I went to the natural habitat where local people have been managing this plant. This place is at a relatively high elevation and there is still snow left in the forest. The guide sign looks small.

New green shoots were emerging from the partially melted mountain stream. It will take a while for them to flower.

This is another habitat located at a lower altitude. It is surrounded by a fence, but some of the flowers grow outside the fence. This place was originally the ground of the temple.

The snow has melted and the flowers have begun to bloom.

Please look at this unique visual aspect of the flowers.