This commonly cultivated bamboo is sometimes confused with Arundinaria, especially A. tecta (FNA 24). P. japonica usually has one delayed dominant branch at each node, often about as thick as the culm (versus 1-3 subequal branches much narrower than the culm), and often outcurved from the culm. Its foliage leaves tend to be larger (ca. 15-35 x 1.5-5 cm versus 5-23 x 0.8-2 cm), usually glabrous and pale to glaucous below (versus glabrous or hairy and not at all glaucous). Its culm sheaths are more persistent, lack auricles (versus usually present) and have dense, persistent bristly hairs (versus glabrous or sparsely pilose towards margins).