Camellia sasanqua

Camellias and sasanquas are some of Japan's most representative trees, and have been featured in waka poetry dating back to ancient times, including in the Man'yoshu anthology.

Camellias have been loved by the Japanese since ancient times, and are so highly prized in the tea ceremony that they are also known as the queen of tea flowers.

During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a fan of camellias in the tea ceremony, and they became an indispensable part of the arts.

During the Edo period, the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, also liked camellias, and they were widely used as a subject for art.

The camellia is a flower that embodies the Japanese tradition of valuing wabi-sabi.