ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FLOWERS Plant Encyclopedia

Flowers decay in the blink of an eye, transforming their appearance as the hours tick toward death.

Azuma Makoto and Shiiki Shunsuke have been experiencing the life and death of these flowers with their own hands, 365 days a year.

This second book, following their monumental first collection, "2009-2011 Flowers," published last year,

goes beyond the framework of an artist's expression or collection of works to convey to as many people as possible the beauty and precious life that only nature possesses. It is a popular edition that is truly a standard for modern "plant encyclopedias."

This book features over 200 photographs, showcasing tens of thousands of plants representing over 1,600 species.

In addition to flowers grown in Japan, currently the world's largest flower market,

these plants originate from harsh environments such as the Amazon rainforest and Asian wetlands, and have traveled across oceans and across seasons to Tokyo.

■Contains over 200 photographs and over 1,600 species of plants. ■For practicality, the end of the book includes an index that identifies all the plants featured and lists their scientific and Japanese names.