Dr. Ichiro Ohga, a Japanese botanist, was the first to study the longevity of lotus seeds (Ichiro Ohga,1883-1965). In 1920s, he found that some lotus seeds have lived at least for 120 years in Southern Manchuria of Liaoning, China (Ohga 1927). In 1951, he discovered some ancient lotus seeds with estimated age of over 2000 years in ancient ruins of Chiba, Japan. Later, through his work, these seeds successfully germinated and one of which was bred into today's famous lotus cultivar, Nelumbo nucifera 'Ohga'.