100 flowers of the Chrysanthemum on a Single stem.

Imagine 100 chrysanthemums blooming on a single thick stem, showcasing a wide variety of colors from the standard white and yellow to the more unusual red and purple. These flowers come in various sizes and blooming styles, representing the diverse range of chrysanthemums found in gardens. Naturally, chrysanthemums don't grow this way. Imaemon, a skilled gardener from Komagome, used his horticultural expertise to graft 100 different varieties onto one tree.

Creating this display involved a lot of trial and error. Initially, the practice of "Ohzukuri," which involves growing a single large flower, became popular. This evolved into "Takazukuri," where flowers were grown to a height of 15 shaku (approximately 4.54 meters) and viewed from the second floor of a teahouse. Competitions then emerged to see how many flowers could be bloomed at once, with some displays reaching up to 3,000 flowers. Eventually, a performance was developed where only selected famous flowers were grafted, leading to Imaemon's masterpiece, "Hyakushu Setsubun Kiku."

Over time, performances using chrysanthemums have evolved, reflecting the changing tastes of the common people. This evolution eventually led to the creation of chrysanthemum dolls, a tradition that continues to this day. The process of popularizing chrysanthemum crafts reminds us of the widespread appeal of gardening culture during the Edo period.

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Real 100 Chrysanthemum on a single stem. They re-created and displayed in the Flower Festival in Toyohashi, Aichi Nov. 2000. Please visit this web page and see the Real 100 Chrysanthemum.

https://www.ccn.aitai.ne.jp/~spinach/manyuukikou_009.htm

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Nov. 2011 in Hamamatsu Flower park, Japan. Another 100 Chrysanthemum.

https://www.shuminoengei.jp/?m=pc&a=page_image_slideshow&target_c_diary_id=37877&num=1

 

References. https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1307861/1/2

https://museumcollection.tokyo/works/6250031/