Yakushi-in Temple in Kayabacho, Edo, is hosting a bustling plant fair, and people of all ages and every walk of life are there. In this woodcut print (right) by Hasegawa Settan (1778-1843), we can see tonsured monks, geisha, a senior samurai holding the hand of a little boy, a young woman under an umbrella held aloft by one of her maids, and so on among the crowd.
Along with traditional pine, wisteria and bamboo, there are exotic plants such as cactus and orchid, providing evidence that a great variety of plants, including many of foreign origin, were available for everyday appreciation. The bundled irises and potted peonies suggest that the season is early summer.
The fair depicted here is just one of many held at temples and shrines in 19th-century Edo. Leading nurserymen were granted permission from the host temple or shrine to organize these fairs and invited other nurseries from the city's outskirts to participate. Flower shows were open to participation by anyone, amateur or professional, high and low alike.