Beneath cascades of purple orchids, ferns uncoil like emerald snakes. Tokyo's wholesale flower market is a quiet riot of color.
Don't, however, expect the soothing atmosphere of a palm house or market garden; this is a high-tech affair where sunflowers stand to attention as they are sold to the highest bidder. Yet there is a rough romance to it all. The scent of lilies mingles with tobacco, roses pale beside the glare of computer screens. In the muggy bidding room every dealer has his pack of cigarettes, can of coffee and mobile phone. One stands at the back, inspecting the flowers with binoculars, while another is stretched out, fast asleep on a bench.
Over 2 million blooms pass through here on market day, making Ota a botanical Shinjuku Station. These delicate living things have come here from all over the world, before their final journey to the hands of mother, friend or bride.