Renowned for their size and fragrance, roses from southwest China's Yunnan Province have become a sensation in Japan, attracting competitive bidding in its largest wholesale flower market, the Ota Market in Tokyo.
Each week, the market has two or three imports of these Chinese roses, with shipments now often exceeding 10,000 stems, catering to an increasingly appreciative consumer base.
"These roses from Yunnan can grow such big in just one year. They are noticeably larger than Japanese varieties, which is one of their distinctive features," said Jun Shishido, a manager at a floral wholesale company.
At the Ota Market, the auction for Yunnan roses is dynamic, with one purchase done in nearly every five seconds after an offer is started. Following the auction, secondary wholesalers will quickly distribute the flowers to various flower shops across Tokyo.
"Our export volume has increased bit by bit. We started with 8,000 stems a day at the beginning. Today, we delivered 15,000, and last Friday we even delivered 30,000. Starting December, they require 90,000 stems daily," said Wang Zhenhua, a Chinese floral trader.
A flower shop in Tokyo, operating for over 60 years, began selling Yunnan roses this year. One stem of the fresh roses, which are shipped from Yunnan to Tokyo within 24 hours after they are picked, sell in the shop for 400 yen (about 2.6 U.S. dollars).
"These roses are very pretty. I believe this type of rose is perfect to express one's emotions and ideas," said a Japanese buyer.
Other flowers that roses from China, such as calla lilies and carnations, are also winning more and more Japanese consumers with their high quality and cost-effectiveness. Data show that from January to September this year, Japan imported 237 million fresh cut flowers from China, ranking the first in the source of imported flowers.
Roses from Yunnan thrive in Japanese market
