It¡¯s approaching 5 a.m. While much of Tokyo sleeps, it¡¯s rush hour at the Ota flower market, and time for a shopping spree for famed Danish florist Nicolai Bergmann.
Trailed by staff, Bergmann navigates the thicket of shops, dodging carts, greeting familiar vendors, and decisively selecting flowers. The Ota flower market is the largest flower market in Japan, complete with an auction house, and Bergmann has been a regular customer for the past 20 years.
¡°Smell this,¡± he says as he indicates flowers with a buttery, rich aroma, tinged with a peach-like sweetness ¡ª oncidium, a variety of orchid. Another branch he holds up will be partly stripped with only its small red buds retained, his eyes expertly scanning the plants for a fresh arrangement design. As he browses, he points out proteas and pauses to highlight the qualities of Japan-grown roses.
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