Baskets with Seven Kinds of Spring Plants Prepared for New Year at Horticultural Farm in Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Haru-no-nanakusa seven spring plants are planted together in a basket at Ueshige Noen horticultural company in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo.

Workers busily make baskets with haru-no-nanakusa, or seven kinds of spring plants, at Ueshige Noen, a horticultural company in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo. The herbs and vegetables, such as cicely and shepherd’s purse, are traditionally used for congee that is eaten after the New Year holidays.

The plants are presented in nanakusa-kago baskets for ornamental purposes. The company started producing and selling the baskets around 1980 as a good-luck product with a wish for good health. The company is planning to ship about 2,000 baskets this winter.