Sekka Zusetsu

Sekka Zusetsu (雪華図説) is a figure collection written by Doi Toshitsura,[1] the fourth daimyō of Koga Domain in 1832.

Due to heavy snowfall, the Koga Domain was a good place to observe snowflakes.

Doi Toshitsura, the fourth daimyō of Koga Domain started observing snowflakes as his hobby with his own microscope which was imported from the Netherlands, and he drew pictures and studies about snowflakes in the book.

This book was written for him and his family (the Doi clan, 土井氏), but it had great influence on Japanese textile-patterns also.

As soon as he wrote the book, snowflake patterns (雪華模様) became popular among ordinary people in Edo.