Japanesque 2016

Added on by the ikebana shop.

Did  you make it to Japanesque this year?  We were blessed with another charming day (Sep 18th, Sunday) at St. Mary's University, The Oaks.  It was a great afternoon to learn and experience Japanese culture.

Chanoyu (tea ceremony) and bugaku court dance.

Iaido and kendo.

Of course, our very own ikebana! :-)

Wadaiko, Japanese drums.  Everyone learned to dance bon-odori!  It was a great crowd!

People also tried calligraphy and Japanese paper crafts...and also enjoyed some matcha tea!

We are already looking forward to next year's Japanesque!

My Ikebana: Intertwining Palm Leaves

Added on by the ikebana shop.

I have this beautiful Shunkei lacquer vase with a long and elegant handle.  I decided to intertwine palm leaves around it to show a climbing arrangement, almost like a vine!

To the left of the arrangement, I added steel grass as an extension and overflow of the motion created by the entwined palm.

Here is the whole arrangement.

I hope you like it.  --Miyako

Proverb: Too Much Or Too Little?

Added on by the ikebana shop.

We came across this Japanese proverb...

「過ぎたるは猶及ばざるが如し」


すぎたるはなおおよばざるがごとし
Sugitara wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi

"Too much is just the same as too little."

Very applicable to ikebana...as well as most anything else in life!  Balance is key.

My Ikebana: Disassembling Stems

Added on by the ikebana shop.

It is summer and it is green!  I took some wild greens growing on the roadside.  These stems are interesting.  If you look closely enough, you will notice some leaves are flat but others are slightly curled.

I decided to take them apart and re-assemble them to show a climbing motion.  The leaves were plucked carefully because I also wanted to show the calyxes.

The bare stems continue the upward movement of the leaves below.

In the midst of the leaves, I placed on lily bud...like something to be found in a treasure-hunt!  The dark pink alstroemeria blooms serves to emphasize the contrast between the cream container and the green leaves.

I hope you like it.  --Miyako

My Ikebana: Using Multiple Containers

Added on by the ikebana shop.

I have many blue containers and so I thought it would interesting to use a few of them like building blocks.  I placed a half-moon container on its side to show a strong face.

To further emphasize this strong surface, I placed flowers behind it.  The chrysanthemum on the lower right is made to look as if it is peeking out from behind!

Here is the whole arrangement.

I hope you like it.  --Miyako

A Visit To A Tea Farm In Uji, Kyoto

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The city of Uji, Kyoto is known to be the birth place of Japanese tea.  This small clump of trees is an area called “Oh-Fuku-Dani 大福谷” where the first tea leaves were successfully planted way back in 1271.  Tea farmers have since moved tea-planting to other areas so now it has cedar trees.

This is the birth place of Nagatani So-en (1680-1778), the man who revolutionized (back in 1738!) Japanese green tea processing into how it is now. 

Tea culture runs deep here, as evidenced even by the mailbox, which is shaped like a tea urn!

The city is surrounded by lush, green hills and the Uji River runs through it, making it a perfect setting to grow tea.

This is a field for sencha, tea, grown in full daylight.

Here is how gyokuro and tencha (the leaves used to make matcha) are grown, shaded for about a month before harvest.

Most tea leaves are already machine-picked.  However, the highest grade teas are still hand-picked.  After picking, the tea leaves are rolled/kneaded, steamed and then dried. They end up in boxes like this.

Here is the lady who vacuum packs our tea for us! Thank you for your hard work! :-)

Tea-tasting and a refresher course in the proper way of preparing matcha!

I also tried a hand in making matcha!  The stone mill is cranked counter-clockwise, one revolution per 3 seconds.  Too fast and the tea is not milled properly, resulting in a bitter tea; too slow and the powder gets stuck in the grooves of the mill. It takes about 30 minutes to grind enough matcha for one bowl.  Modern farms still use the same stone mill with machines doing the turning.

The taste of freshly ground matcha is in a league of its own! 

We hope you continue to enjoy Japanese green tea!

My Ikebana: Mountain Ash And Sunflower

Added on by the ikebana shop.

A friend gave me mountain ash branches from a fallen tree.  They were from the top of the tree, something not usually easily to get at!  The container is a vase that my mother made.  It is a solid and hefty piece that goes perfectly well with the strong branches.

Sunflowers herald the coming of summer!  Here is the whole arrangement.

I hope you like it.  --Miyako

Zen Saying: Kou-Un Ryuu-Sui

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行雲流水 (pronounce: "koh oon ryu sui") is a Zen saying that literally translates as "Clouds move. Water flows."

Herring Cove, NS, Canada.

Clouds do not stay in the same place.  Water flows from somewhere to somewhere.  If something blocks their way, they just move around it.  They follow their natural course despite the obstacles. They also do not cling to any permanent shape.

In our lives, things happen, for better or for worse. There is no need to dwell on certain events. There is no use to cling to certain episodes.  We must let life keep flowing and follow its natural course.  As the Beatles said, "Let it be!"  ...and life goes on.

  Original calligraphy by Yukari Haverstock.

Demonstration At The Chester Garden Club

Added on by the ikebana shop.

Thank you to the members of the Chester Garden Club for your warm welcome last night.  We are very happy to have the opportunity to introduce ikebana to you!

We hope you enjoyed the presentation.

...and we hope we'll see you in one of our ikebana lessons one day!