Ikebana

I've heard that ikebana is a very precise, difficult art, but I thought it was important to get a peek into one of the most well-known aspects of traditional Japanese culture. Yesterday I got the chance to give Japanese flower arranging a try, and I made the basic upright structure.


First, my teacher taught me where to put the kenzan, or needlepoint holder, in the vase. The placement of the kenzan depends on the arrangement, and for this style it went on the left hand side, closest to me. Then she guided me through the placement of the flowers. Every angle for the main flowers is predetermined! I really came to understand the elegance of ikebana.

Once I finally finished my arrangement, I had to sketch it in my notebook, and then take a picture. Then, my teacher told me to take apart the arrangement and do it all over again. Yeah, that's right! One more time! After I finished again, she gave me a few suggestions, had me take it apart again, and told me to reassemble it as soon as possible when I got home.

It sure took a long time! However, I thought the flowers looked beautiful. This was a Christmas arrangement, bringing aspects of a relatively new holiday into a traditional art form. I'm not sure if I'll try Japanese flower arranging again, but we're definitely enjoying this little burst of festivity in our apartment while looking forward to the holidays in Michigan!