I love to visit a senior citizen’s home near my apartment. I’ve visited since last September. I like the residents and people working there. I was brought up among grand parents with many visitors and friends so I like to be surrounded by people. We had Ikebana and tea ceremony, traditional Japanese culture. Today I brought 6 kimonos …
We celebrate Hinamatsuri: Girl’s Festival and display Hinaningo dolls wearing traditinal kimono. Wishing for the happiness fo the girls. Parents/Grandparents buy Hinaningo dolls for a daughter/granddaughter. The size and style have been changing according to the change of life style and value but its wish had not been changed. We display the dolls and eat chirashi zushi (a …
March 3rd （April 3rd） Girl’s Festival HInamatsuri is celebrated in Japan Read More »
I had been a school teacher in Japan. School is where I had so much great experiences. There were full f hope and dreams for the future , love and trust, joy and laughter, though sometimes I needed more patience. I had met so many students, teachers, and parents. Everybody is different and unique and …
I had a new Ikebana freind on my birthday. What a great gift! When you do Ikebana , you will find beauty in not only flowers and branches but also in yourself. You will know how much beauty you can create and express with floral materials. AT the same time you can experience moment of peace, like meditation …
I enjoy working at floral department at local store twice a week as a floral designer. Flower design is very different from Ikebana. Floral design is to please recipients and Ikebana is for the guest but more beneft for the arranger’s mind. Both are enojoyable. We had made a lot of rose arrangements since Monday for Valentine’s …
Happy Valentine’s Day! ヴァレンタインデ－ It’s Valentine’s day in Japan now. Over there ladies give chocolate to men. Japanese ladies were expected to be obedient and not say ” I love you” to men. Valentine’s Day was only day in a year when ladies express their love directly decades ago. Chocolate company from America introduced Valentine’s Day …
For me origami crane(折り鶴） is more than just a folding paper. I make one when I would love to express my fullest appreciation, especially not in Japan. While I am making an origami crane, I can think a lot: what he/she did and how nice of him/ her. I wish for his/her happiness and …
At home flowers were placed at the entrance, Tokonoma ( decorative alcove), Butsudan (Buddhist alter), kitchen, and sometimes powder room. Flowers and blossoms in n the garden and outside of my house, a small violet between the cracks of pavement. When I am happy, they also look happy and beautiful. When I am sad, they still …
I like to visit the senior citizens’ home. Today I visited and enjoyed Ikebana with them. I demonstrated Shoka which consists of three main branches which are called Shin, Soe, Hikae. Very simple. The ides od Shoka represents upwoard energy of growing .Those proportions are 7:5:3. It is Japanese golden proportion. I demonstrated this style developed and completed in …
Pine tree, plam, bamboo are the three most formal floral materaial for Japanese New Year. 松 Pine tree 梅 Plam 竹 Bamboo Pine tree is the most formal. Here I couldn’t get plam or bamboo so I used only pine. Here in the States pine is for Christmas, though. For me Pine is a must for a new year. I …
