Himawari — The One That Turns Toward the Sun (向日葵)

Hi there, I’m Yulia.

Welcome to the Japanese-Korean Club! If this is your first visit, you might be wondering about our logo—the sunflower. Why a sunflower? Why not a cherry blossom or the flags of Japan and Korea? Well… let me tell you a story.

One summer, I visited a sunflower field on Nokonoshima Island near Fukuoka, Japan. Sunflowers in Japan aren’t just flowers—they’re summer itself: sun, festivals, warmth, light.

At this field, visitors were allowed to take one sunflower home. There was a tiny, perfectly organized table with scissors for cutting the flower, and little bags filled with water to carry it safely. Honestly… that attention to detail—it just amazed me. That is pure Japanese care.

I hesitated. I felt a little guilty cutting the flower. But I really wanted to bring a piece of that sun, that summer, with me. I chose a modest sunflower, carefully cut it, and tucked it into the bag.

It traveled with us on the ferry from the island to Fukuoka. And I swear… I could feel it radiating energy. Its bright yellow petals against the deep blue of the sea—it was like a little sun in my hands, filling me with warmth, happiness, and… hope.

But the most magical part came later. We got a taxi, and as soon as the driver opened the door, he saw the sunflower. And his reaction… His whole face just lit up. He smiled and kept saying, over and over: “Himawari… Himawari.”

“Himawari” (ひまわり)means “sunflower” in Japanese.

And as we drove, he kept glancing back at it, laughing, smiling like a child. Just… pure joy, radiating from him, because of this tiny flower in his car. I can still remember it, even now—how alive, how simple, how real that happiness felt.

I know some people might roll their eyes at this. “He should be watching the road, not a flower!” they might think. And maybe that’s true. But honestly… to feel the magic of that moment, you had to be there. In that taxi. In that fleeting summer afternoon.

That memory stayed with me. It reminded me of something so simple, yet so powerful: even a small thing—a flower, a word, a gesture—can completely brighten someone’s life. The effect might be fleeting, but the energy it creates… it’s unforgettable.

And later, I learned something beautiful about the word Himawari: it literally means “the one that turns toward the sun.” And for me, that became a metaphor.

I want to be like a sunflower. I want to turn toward the sun—toward learning, growth, discipline, self-improvement. Toward making the world around me a little brighter, a little warmer.

Yes, I know the world isn’t perfect. There’s war, suffering, negativity… But I’ve made a conscious choice. I choose to turn toward the sun anyway. And if along the way, I can share that sunlight with others… that is the greatest gift.

That’s what the taxi driver did for me on that summer day in Fukuoka. He reminded me of joy. Of light. Of simplicity. And that joy inspired me to start this club, here in a small Dutch city, sharing Japanese and Korean culture with anyone who wants to join.

And yes—that is why our logo is a sunflower. Not just a flower. A symbol of hope, of energy, of turning toward the light. A little reminder that even small things can create magic.

Written on February 11, 2026

Apeldoorn, Netherlands

by Yulia Vrublevskaia