The 96th Sogetsu Annual Exhibition in Nihombashi, Takashimaya

I dare say, this blog should truly change its name to the blog where posts rarely happen. My only excuse is that life gets in the way, and I am only too happy jumping at the opportunities it provides. Autumn is slowly taking its firm grip on Tokyo, although I am still in t-shirt, night and day. Horrible thought, it´s short sleeved too. Others around me has donned their cowboy boots and winter coats and am enjoying their rides on the train, where the heat is now turned on. After all, temperatures have fallen to 22-24 degrees during the day.

This morning, the second part of this three part event opened at Takashimaya, Nihonbashi. The exhibition did not disappoint as there were quite a few exciting arrangements in various sizes. 

Our theme was Set things you cannot see. For this particular theme I chose a strong ceramic vase in red with a black base, and as material I picked typically autumn colours to pick up the colours of the vase. The green leaf carculigo is easily bendable and emphasizes the red/orange colour of the pincushions, while the black chillie fruits pick up the colour from the base.
This is a part of iemoto (headmaster of the Sogetsu School)Akane Teshigahara´s super size arrangement.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Rainy Season Ikebana

During the rainy season (and then typhoon season) the rainfall varies between intensive downpours to sprinkles. When less intense, the rain reminds me of veils dancing in circles, which inspired this arrangement
Hope you´re all enjoying a lazy Sunday.

Sogetsu Ikebana Exhibition

Yesterday it was pouring down in Tokyo, and it does todays as well. It seems from the weather forecast that we´re in for precipitation for another couple of days so the weekend will be enjoyed indoors.
It always amazes me how the camera manages to almost zoom out the rain as if it doesn´t exist. Yesterday afternoon was spent at Takashimaya, Shinjuku, where Sogetsu Ikebana Exhibition just opened. It is presented from June 5th to June 10th 2014 and comes in two parts, part I (June 5-7) and part II (June 8-10).

Hope you´ll enjoy and have a great weekend everyone!
Big floor arrangement by Iemoto – Headmaster of the Sogetsu School, Akane Teshigahara. Arrangement by Master Instructor Koka Fukushima. Arrangement by Master Instructor Yoka Hosono.

Inspirational Tuesday

This is a lovely season. RHS Chelsea Flower Show has come to an end and we might feel inspired. Don´t forget to enjoy the abundance of  fresh flowers, play around with the material and remember, if design A doesn´t work out, the alphabet has 25 more letters!
がんばって!

Ikebana

Hope you´re all enjoying a great week with some warm and sunny weather!

Ikebana for the Japanese tea room

Today´s ikebana arrangement for the Japanese tea room at the Sogetsu head quarters, Tokyo. Arranged by a master teacher. Intense, don´t you think?

Japanese tea room

There is a new elaborate arrangement in the tea room every week. The tatami mats are used in traditional Japanese style rooms. The mats are typically made of rice straw, covered by woven soft rush.

Saturday morning

Not quite the weekend weather we are all so longing for, but at least it´s not raining – yet…Have a great weekend everyone!

Cut and trim, and trim again…

Still, there is time to trim the garden and garden days or weeks have been announced for some time and are almost over. For those of you familiar with the art of ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) you know that trimming is an essential skill. Ma or space is crucial to the arrangement, so even in the garden. Negative space (the space around and between the subjects of an image) is particularly appealing if it forms an interesting shape, which might be incorporated in the arrangement as an artistic effect. Ma is a key element when it comes to artistic composition. 

There are similarities, right? Pruning in Japan is just as artistic and mostly revolves around controlling and shaping. It involves the selective removal of for instance branches, buds or roots. You do it to remove dead wood, shaping by controlling or directing growths and maintaining the health of the tree, to mention but a few of the reasons. Western style would typically be to use a saw or chainsaw, but here arborists and orchardists tend to use hand pruners, loppers and/or a smaller hand saw.

Rather brutal trim, don´t you think? Have a great weekend! 

Shiitake

Shiitake mushrooms
The shiitake mushroom is native to East Asia and have been cultivated for over 1000 years. These I got from an acquaintance of mine whose husband grows them as a hobby in their backyard. They typically grow on dead logs from the shii tree (Castanopsis cuspidata). These beauties can be used not only as food but also in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a medicinal remedy taken to prevent all kinds of ailments such as upper respiratory diseases, poor blood circulation, exhaustion, liver trouble and to boost qi. Best of all, it is believed to prevent premature aging. Sorry Chanel, but the recently purchased Hydra Beauty Crème Riche, hydration protection éclat – hydration protection radiance, will have to rest, at least for a trial period. As for whipping up a delicious dish, in Japan the mushrooms are often served in miso soups while in China we used to sauté them in vegetarian dishes, preferably with a sprinkle of garlic. In Thailand, the mushrooms were simply fried wok style. Today comes with beautiful weather – hope your weekend is great too!