The Japan Foundation presents a special talk on "Ikebana And Tokyo Skytree", offering further profound insights into Japanese culture and society tomorrow, 6pm-7.30pm.
The speaker will be Machiko Nakayama, an expert in Ikebana, particularly the Ohara method of flower arrangement. Taking departure from neoclassical Ikebana, meaning a way of revitalising traditional Ikebana for contemporary times, the talk will reflect on the roots of Ikebana and the historical progress of Japanese architecture.
Ikebana is one of the traditional Japanese art forms and can be traced to its origin in the 15th century. Its essence is how to enliven a flower arrangement by utilising natural trees, leaves and flowers. The styles of Ikebana vary, as do its interpretations, despite similar patterns. Thus, Ikebana acts as the art of living, which enables the search for natural beauty.
For the past 25 years, Machiko has delved into perspectives of Asian culture, especially Chinese and Japanese. She has organised various Ikebana exhibitions and lectures in many Asian countries, demonstrating how natural leaves, branches and flowers from the locality of these countries could be utilised in making this Japanese art form vibrant.
She has been continuously researching and writing, authoring several books about Ikebana from her accumulated studies and extensive experiences. This talk will also be relevant to the genesis of Ikebana derived from her latest book, Sacred Trees: The Root Of Ikebana (2017).
The talk is in Japanese with Thai interpretation. There is no admission fee. The Japan Foundation is located in the Sermmit Tower on Sukhumvit 21.
Machiko Nakayama. photos courtesy of Japan Foundation
Ikebana. Japan Foundation
