My first winter garden has been a surprise for me. Japanese love to talk about their wonderful four seasons. I expected that winter would mean no flowers and scarce greenery. That’s why I left the East Coast of the United States over twenty years ago.
Yet winter in Tokyo offers many opportunities for flowers– particularly annuals like pansies, decorative kale, geraniums. Even plants I expected to die back are sprouting new growth in mid-winter, like two small roses on my balcony. Most specatcular is the tsubaki (つばき), a winter camelia I bought around new year’s. Another variety is called sazanka (さざんか). There’s even an early plum tree blooming on the path we take to the JR station.
Across from the same plum tree, we saw a tiny, surprisingly round, green bird that is active in winter, the mejiro (目白). It’s adorable.
And, finally, I am surprised to see so many plants common in Northern California growing in the Tokyo winter, including brugsmania (called Angel’s Trumpet in Japan) and “purple princess.” Very unexpected.
Tokyo Moe 
The meijro are really cool. Have you heard their song yet. We had these in the back yard (when we had one) and they usually travel in pairs. Used to feed them in the winter by saving cooking fat/grease then adding seeds and putting into the fridge for a few days.
We’ve got lots of mejiro around here as well, and indeed they are adorable. I’m impressed you were able to get a photo, as they are especially skittish.
That is the cutest bird! The plum tree at my home only blooms in the spring (My mama loves that she can see it from her window.).