Japanese yam; Dioscorea japonica
A wild yam native to Japan, often used in cooking. The term can also refer to related species in the same genus.
See also: 山の芋
I grated the Japanese yam and made tororo.
This Japanese yam is very sticky.
water yam; winged yam; purple yam
water yam; winged yam; purple yam
Standard kanji spelling for the wild yam.
Katakana spelling, often used in botanical or culinary contexts.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, sometimes used for readability.
Compound of 山 (yama, 'mountain') + 芋 (imo, 'potato, tuber'), literally 'mountain potato'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the name reflects its natural habitat.