Pink and brown rhizome and leaves of Japanese alpinia, Alpinia japonica Miq. (Ginger, Zingiberacea) Hanameuga.. Colour-printed woodblock engraving by Kan'en Iwasaki from "Honzo Zufu," an Illustrated Guide to Medicinal Plants, 1884. Iwasaki (1786-1842) was a Japanese botanist, entomologist and zoologist. He was one of the first Japanese botanists to incorporate western knowledge into his studies.