I’ve always been intrigued by the poetry of Japanese names for mushrooms. beyond the top five edibles I couldn’t find a detailed list in English. Here is my list of Japanese names for mushrooms focusing mainly on edible mushrooms and those also found in Scotland
Edible mushrooms
Maitake
Hen of the woods
Grifola frondosa
Maitake translates as dancing mushroom (in Korean it is dancing butterflies). Common to both Japan and Scotland.
Hiratake
Oyster mushroom
Pleurotus ostreatus
Common to both Japan and Scotland.
Enokitake
Velvet shanks /Winter mushroom
Flammulina vetipes
Common to both Japan and Scotland.
Uramurasaki
Amethyst deceiver
Laccaria amethystina
Common to both Japan and Scotland.
Murasakishimeji
Wood blewit
Lepista nuda
Common to both Japan and Scotland.
Mukitake
Late oyster /Olive oysterling
Sarcomyxa serotina
(previously Panellus serotina). Common to both Japan and Scotland.
Aikawatake
Chicken of the woods
Laetiporus sulphureus
Common to both Japan and Scotland.
Akamomitake
Saffron milk cap
Lactarius deliciosus (L. laeticolorus)
Common to Japan and Scotland.
Mushrooms popular in Japanese cuisine that are not native to Scotland include:
Chichitake
Tawny milkcap /Weeping milkcap
Lactifluus volemus
Formerly Lactarius volemus In Europe, rare in some areas.
Matsutake
Pine mushroom
Tricholoma matsutake (T. nauseosum)
It grows in Sweden and Finland so there’s probably no reason why it couldn’t grow in Scotland.
Bakamatsutake
Tricholoma bakamatsutake
Matsutake species that grows under beech and oaks.
Shiitake
Lentinula edodes
Buna-shimeji
Brown beech mushroom
Hypsizygus tessellatus
Found in Northern Europe.
Bunapi-shimeji
White beech mushroom
Hypsizygus tessellatus
White variant of above.
Eringi
King Oyster mushroom
Pleurotus eryngii
Tamojitake
Golden oyster mushroom
Pleurotus citrinopileatus
Native to Japan and cultivated. Related to the Branched Oyster Fungus (Pleurotus cornucopiae) found in Scotland.
Usuhiratake
Lung oyster mushroom
Pleurotus pulmonarius
Saketsubatake
Burgundy mushroom /King stropharia
Stropharia rugosoannulata
Nameko
Butterscotch mushroom
Pholiota microspora
Arage-kikurage
Cloud ear fungus
Auricularia polytricha
Closely related to the Wood ear aka Jelly ear fungus found in Scotland (Auricularia auricula-judae).
Shironumeriiguchi
Sticky bolete
Suillus viscidus
Found in same larch habitat as Larcch bolete (Suillus grevillei) found in Scotland.
Iwatake
Stone ear /Rock mushroom
Umbilicaria esculenta
Technically an edible lichen.
Medicinal mushrooms
Meshimakobu
Black hoof fungus
Phellinus linteus
Related to the European Willow Bracket (Phellinus igniarius).
Tsuriganetake
Hoof /Tinder fungus
Fomes fomentarius
In Japanese this translates as the bell mushroom. Common to both Japan and Scotland.
Mannentake
Reishi mushroom
Ganoderma lucidum
Mannentake means the 10,000 year mushroom. Also called Kadodetake (the Departure mushroom), Hijiridake (the Sage mushroom) and Magoshakushi (the Grandchild Ladle). In Scotland, a very similar species is used. The Artists Conk Ganoderma applanatum and the Southern Conk G. australe.
Debated edibility/toxicity
Sugihiratake
Angel wings
Pleurocybella porrigens
Edible but with great caution. Toxins can cause fatal kidney damage especially in elderly people with a history of kidney problems. Common to Japan and Scotland.
Murasakifuusentake
Violet webcap
Cortinarius violaceus
Counted as an edible mushroom in Japan but rare in Britain and easily confused with deadly Cortinarius species.
Kuritake
Brickcap mushroom
Hypholoma sublateritium
Mixed views on edibility.
Inedible mushrooms
Kenawatake
Parachute mushroom
Marasmius funalis
Found only in Japan. Other Marasmius species are found in Scotland.
Poisonous mushrooms
Benitengutake
Fly agaric
Amanita muscaria
Only edible when prepared correctly as otherwise it can make you extremely ill. Common to both Japan and Scotland.
Nigikuritake
Sulphur tuft
Hypholoma fasciculare
Common to both Japan and Scotland.
Nisekurohatsu
Brittlegill (unspecified)
Russula subnigricans
Found only in Japan, Taiwan and China.
Kakishimeji
Burnt knight
Tricholoma ustale
Found in Japan and the southern counties of England.
Kirinomitake
Devil’s cigar /Texas star
Chorioactis geaster
Found in Japan and Texas. Similar to Scottish earth star cup fungi.
Kokusaurabenitake
The wood pinkgill
Entoloma rhodopolium
Common to both Japan and Scotland.
Hikageshibiretake
Magic mushroom
Psilocybe subcaerulipes
Causes anxiety, panic and altered states of consciousness. Native to Japan.