Manyosyu -- Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves -- is the oldest and revered anthology of Japan's poetic compilations. Over a period of four centuries, 4516 poems were written by every class of person ranging from Emperors to merchants and farmers. Manyo is an abbreviation of Manyosyu and its meaning indicates people of all ranks.
"Manyosyu" is often regarded in Japan as a true expression of the Japanese spirit. The themes of the poems relate to love, elegies, celebrations, family matters, traveling, the passage of the four seasons, nature, and so on. Flowers are especially relevant in Japanese culture and about 1500 of the poems in Manyosyu cover some 160 species of plants and 50 different flowers.
