plum blossom

The one hundred poems and images of flowering plum blossoms published in book form c.1238 by Song Boren [92] make up the earliest Chinese illustrated book where the pictures are meant as objects of aesthetic appreciation in their own right

The plum is associated with the start of spring, because plum blossoms are some of the first blossoms to open during the year. In most areas of Japan, including Tokyo, they typically flower in February and March.