Mube

This is an evergreen climbing tree distributed from Tohoku to Okinawa in Japan, and extending to the southern Korean Peninsula. It is originally a tree from warm regions distributed south of the Kanto area, but due to its hardy nature, its distribution range has reportedly expanded to parts of the Tohoku region. The vines grow long and can reach about 8mm in diameter when mature.
From late April to May, small flowers with petal-like calyxes bloom in clusters of about five around the leaf axils. The flowers are white to pale cream with reddish-purple stripes in the center. After flowering, it produces oval fruits about 5cm in diameter, which ripen to a purple color in autumn. The ripe fruits are packed with many black seeds and somewhat translucent white pulp, which is faintly sweet and delicious. However, the seeds are large and numerous for the size of the fruit, making them somewhat difficult to eat. The shape is similar to Akebia, but unlike Akebia, Mube does not split open when ripe. The fruits keep well, so they are sometimes used as material for flower arrangements with the vine still attached.
The leaves are composed of small leaflets clustered together on a long stalk (palmately compound leaves). The number of these leaflets increases from 3 to 5 to 7 as the tree grows, which is why it has long been considered an auspicious tree.