This non-registered hosta is from Japan but the originator is unknown. It is a miniature size cultivar with lanceolate, green foliage that has rippled margins. It bears lavender flowers and is a medium to slow growing hosta. The Fransen Hostas website says, "...looks like 'Saishu Jima' but is a bit larger."

"Plant was introduced from Japan by LeRoy Davidson who received it from Jack Craig under the name H. minor in 1967. Davidson reports that this taxon is a small plant and probably not H. minor. Plants observed under this name are very similar to H. gracillima but H. 'Saishu Jima' has also been given this label, and these taxa were probably mixed up in cultivation."

An article about name changes by W. George Schmid in The Hosta Journal (1996 Vol. 27 No. 2) states that, "Transliterated Japanese names which contain substantive words do not require changes. For example H. 'Akebono Tokudama' listed in Grenfell (1996) is an acceptable name because Akebono means "dawn" (of the day) and is a substantive. Other examples of such names are H. 'Hakujima' (a place name) and H. 'Umezawa' (a person's name.)."