The Flowers of Japan and the Art of Floral Arrangement.
With Illustrations by Japanese Artists. Tokio 1891

The Flowers of Japan and the Art of Floral Arrangement are published in an exceptionally thorough and beautiful, limited edition:

- format B4 (240 x 335 mm)

- distinctive, cream satin paper

- colorful illustrations and plates emulating Japanese woodcuts

- hard cover with a specially designed jacket.

- fascinating stories on flowers and their meaning in the Japanese culture,

- a handbook facilitating study of the Japanese art of flower arrangement; a book without equal and not to be found elsewhere on the world book market




Japanese historians claim for the Floral Art an Indian and religious origin. The same Buddhist doctrine which deprecated the wanton sacrifice of animal life is said to have suggested the gathering of flowers, liable to rapid destruction in a tropical climate, and prolonging their life by careful preservation.





The religion of Buddha, as is well known, reached Japan through China in the sixth century, and certain Chinese priests are referred to as the first teachers of the art of arranging flowers in Japan. Therefore the way of arranging flowers bears – in addition to traditional Japanese aesthetic categories – a significant admixture of Chinese philosophy. A consequence of this is an aura that seems at first glance strange and mysterious. The arrangement of flowers has always been regarded in Japan as an occupation befitting learned men and literati. Ladies of the aristocracy have practiced it, as they have other arts, but it is by no means considered as an effeminate accomplishment. Priests, philosophers, and men of rank who have retired from public life have been its most enthusiastic followers.


Among the many general impressions which exist abroad with regard to Japan, is one, that it is a land abounding in flowers, - that nature has lavished her floral gifts with special favor upon these sunny islands of the Far East. The artistic character of the Japanese people is most strikingly displayed in their methods of interpreting the simpler of natural beauties.
The common flowers of the seasons have been given a prominent place in the fête-day calendar. Almost every month is known by its special blossoms, and all the important cities have groves and gardens devoted to their public display. Treasured chiefly as heralds of the seasons, and as inseparable from the favorite pursuits and pastimes of out-door life, Japanese flowers are by no means esteemed in proportion to their scarcity or difficulty of production.



Conder, Josiah
(1852-1920) – British architect, urban planner and teacher. Born in London. A graduate of the Royal British Institute of Architects, Conder came to Japan in 1877. He served concurrently as a professor of architecture at the government’s Koba Daigakke (later part of Tokyo University) and as consultant for the Ministry of Engineering. His pupils, such as Tatsuno Kingo, formed the first generation of western-style architects in Japan and laid the foundation for its modern architectural development. Between 1878 and 1907 Conder designed over 50 major buildings in Tokyo that served both as practical models and as symbols of the Westernizing Meiji state. They include the Tokyo Imperial Museum (1881), the Rokumeukan pleasure palace (1883), Nikolai Cathedral (1893), and the Navy Ministry building (1895). He also designed residence for prominent Meiji officials and for the Mitsubishi Co’s Iwasaki family. Conder’s buildings were often part of urban development plans such as Mitsulashi’s buildup of the Marunouchi district of Tokyo, Japan’s first large scale private development. He designs characteristically featured red brick with white stone trim. Conder published a number of books, including Landscape Gardening in Japan (1893).