Yoshiharu Watanabe, aged 45, has earned the title of the world’s luckiest man by growing a clover with an astonishing 63 leaves, setting a new Guinness Record.
Traditionally, a four-leaf clover is considered lucky, and a clover with more leaves is believed to bring even more luck. By this measure, Watanabe might be the luckiest man alive, having successfully cultivated a clover with 63 leaves. His journey began in 2009 when he started collecting clovers with more than three leaves and replanting them in his garden. The resilient nature of clovers allowed him to cross-pollinate and create plants with up to 20 leaves. Initially, he dreamed of setting a world record but never imagined achieving it with a clover of 63 leaves.
“Whenever I found clovers with four, five, or even seven leaves near paddy fields or parks, I would bring them home,” Watanabe shared with Guinness Records. “Seeing the number of leaves increase over the years inspired me to aim for the Guinness World Records title.”
The previous record, set in 2009 by another Japanese man, Shigeo Obara, featured a 56-leaf clover. Although it was a challenging goal, Watanabe’s persistence in growing clovers with an increasing number of leaves each year kept his dream alive.
By 2020, Watanabe’s efforts had produced remarkable results, including a 49-leaf clover. The following year, he nearly matched the record with a 55-leaf clover. However, his progress seemed to stall as the number of leaves ceased to increase.
“Sometimes the number of leaves can decrease, or you might just get a normal three-leaf clover,” Watanabe explained. “While genetics play a role in the number of leaves, the exact mechanism remains unknown.”
Just as he was about to abandon his quest, Watanabe managed to grow a clover with 63 leaves in 2023.
“Counting the leaves was challenging because they are smaller than those of standard clovers,” Watanabe noted. “It took me over an hour to count all the leaves on this record-breaking clover.”
