Japan has a long tradition of flower arranging. Magazines on the subject of floral arranging can be found in most bookshops alongside manuals on how to make intricate arrangements.

The cheapest and easiest place to buy flowers is at your local convenience store (combini). They might not last long, but they won’t put a dent in your wallet. Local florists will ship anywhere in Japan and Hana-Yoshi is a reliable online shop that has a good variety of fresh, seasonal flowers that tend to last well. International shipping is costly and is not common, so if you’re sending flowers abroad it’s best to go through a local florist in that country. Yuzawaya (see table below) has a great flower section and often offers big discounts. Aoyama Flower Market is a more fashionable option; the flowers come in unusual colours, arranged in minimalist glass vases. Market-brought bouquets start at ¥1,000. Department stores are expensive for flowers as they employ professional florists, often with specialised ikebana (traditional Japanese flower arranging) training. Larger arrangements and plants can be shipped to your home for a small fee, usually by one of the more popular shipping companies like Yamato-Kuroneko-Yamato or Sagawa-kyubin. To get the most out of your flowers, cut the stems diagonally under running water, replace the water regularly, and keep them out of direct sunlight.