This stone was first given the poetic name “Hatsu-haru” or “first spring” by its first owner, Katayama Eiichi. But the second owner, Ohiwa Takao, changed the name to “Hatsu-hana” or “first flower” because it reminded the owners of the first flowers to appear in spring. The reddish circular patterns on the surface of this stone resemble plum flowers, one of the first trees to bloom in the late winter and early spring months. These early spring flowers gives the feeling of the strength of life. This colorful pattern stone is a Toki-ishi, a type of natural, unaltered petrified wood from gravel deposits in Aichi Prefecture. It is 12.5 cm wide, 15.5 cm high, and 4.5 cm deep (4.9 x 6.1 x 1.8 inches) without the wood base. Hatsu-hana was owned for many years by the well-known Toki-ishi collector Ohiwa Takao. This viewing stone was featured in volume six of Toki-ishi, The World of Beauty in 2012 and subsequently displayed in an exhibition in 2018.