In the Ninomaru grove of the Imperial Palace East Gardens just south of Palaceside Building, futari-shizuka bears modest white flowers. Under mixed woodland about 30–40 cm high, two flower stems about 5 cm tall carry tiny rice-grain-sized blossoms. So quiet one might pass without noticing.
Long ago, Shizuka Gozen, captured by Minamoto no Yoritomo, danced before Yoritomo and his wife Masako, singing of Yoshitsune: "Yoshino's peaks, treading through snow to enter—how I miss the one who came" and "Shizuka, shizuka, spinning humble hemp—would that past were present." She earned Yoritomo's wrath; Masako said, "A woman's heart faithful to her lord—only a woman understands," and saved Shizuka. Learning of Yoshitsune's death at Hiraizumi, Shizuka weakened in body and spirit, mourning him; leaving the words "Lord Kurou (Yoshitsune)," she departed to join him.
The name comes from two flower stems, likened to Shizuka's spirit and a vegetable-gathering girl (natsume) possessed by it, dancing.
Hitri-shizuka has one stem. Futari-shizuka sometimes has three, four, or five—but not sannin-shizuka or yonin-shizuka. With three or four, chatter would increase and it would hardly stay quiet.