| | | | | sandalwood and pine, drinking our delicious coffee, |
| Japanese summers are usually introduced by a | | | | while eating Japanese style pancakes and fresh |
| warm, sunny spring season, but this year, the | | | | cream! We had hand-made vanilla ice cream for |
| temperatures and conditions have been wildly | | | | dessert. I joked that I had dyed and gone to |
| erratic. However, ‘Tsuyu' (the rainy season) | | | | heaven! (Yuko and my wife groaned in unison). |
| has arrived on schedule as usual, bringing with it | | | | |
| the typical heat and humidity that can be | | | | Before long, it was time to head back to the |
| expected at this time of the year, and the | | | | town of Kuwana and arrange some flowers! |
| realization that summer has arrived. | | | | Being a regular guy from Australia, I never |
| | | | | thought I would try arranging flowers, but in |
| Summer is an exciting time, with summer | | | | Japan, it's not so much about arranging flowers, |
| festivals, fireworks, traditional customs, special | | | | as it is about learning to relax and to express |
| sporting events and summer holidays. In Japan, | | | | oneself, much in the same way as writing poetry, |
| the main traditional customs include ‘Chugen' | | | | or painting. In fact, Yuko kindly explained, it was |
| (the giving of a mid-year gift to relatives, or to a | | | | the samurai who sometimes did this activity to |
| company boss or colleague), ‘Obon' (a | | | | relax after a battle, and knowing that helped me |
| Buddhist event, and a time to remember one's | | | | deal with any doubts I had about my masculinity! |
| ancestors and honor their spirits), and | | | | |
| ‘Suikawari', a traditional game for children in | | | | We drove back into the city of Kuwana, in Mie, |
| which one child is blindfolded, and tries to cut or | | | | where Yuko's Ikebana Sensei lived, and on the |
| break a watermelon with a stick or pole. Many | | | | way, Yuko told us briefly about the history of |
| Japanese people will travel at this time to be with | | | | Japanese flower arrangement. |
| their families, and the highways can be clogged | | | | |
| with traffic before and after ‘Obon', which | | | | Apparently, flower arrangement really took off in |
| generally occurs around the middle of August. | | | | the 15th and 16th centuries, with rigid rules |
| | | | | applying to the original form of "Tatebana" |
| It is a very active season, and all across Japan, | | | | (Standing Flower). This custom took place mainly |
| those who have holidays will travel and participate | | | | in the temples, and the houses of the nobles and |
| in various activities to make their vacation | | | | powerful warlords. |
| enjoyable or memorable. Some will attempt to | | | | |
| climb Fuji-san, a yearly pilgrimage for many | | | | Impressive to look at, it was intended not only to |
| Japanese people. Others will go to Koushien | | | | please one's senses or display the skill of the |
| stadium in Osaka and watch the annual high school | | | | arranger but also to make a spiritual impact on |
| baseball championship. Many participate in or line | | | | the beholder by recreating a scene that was true |
| up to see the famous festivals that occur during | | | | to nature. Fewer flowers were used than might |
| this time, with almost every town and city having | | | | be expected, and balance was essential, but |
| their own local event. Typically, at then end of | | | | unnatural symmetry was to be avoided, (such as |
| each of these events is a great fireworks show. | | | | in bonsai trees). |
| | | | | |
| Some of the more famous summer | | | | For many hundreds of years, until the 19th |
| ‘Matsuri' or festivals include the Nebuta | | | | century, flower arranging was a masculine art - |
| Matsuri in Aomori, near the top of Honshu, the | | | | practiced by Shinto priests, Buddhist monks, |
| Akita-Kanto Matsuri, the Narita Gion Matsuri, the | | | | nobles and warriors. Now, of course, with |
| Sanno Matsuri in Tokyo, the Gujo Bon Odori | | | | modern society placing its particular demands on |
| festival in Gifu, the spectacular Tenjin Matsuri in | | | | people, it has become a mainly a female |
| Osaka, the Awa Odori festival in Tokushima, and | | | | pastime. A typical flower arrangement today will |
| the Hakata Gion Matsuri in Fukuoka on Kyushu, | | | | sit in the "tokonoma" (a special, central, highly |
| but these are just to name a few of the more | | | | visible alcove in a house, where an object is |
| well known festivals. | | | | placed as a tribute to somebody or something). |
| | | | | It also helps to create a favorable atmosphere |
| In most local neighborhoods, one can smell the | | | | for a tea ceremony, and is also sometimes used |
| wonderful scent of burning wood as families fire | | | | as decoration in a hotel lobby or foyer. |
| up their barbecues. It is a time for eating one's | | | | |
| favorite foods, relaxing, and swimming. The local | | | | Yuko's ‘Ikebana' sensei was very relieved and |
| beaches, rivers and swimming pools are full of | | | | pleased that we could speak Japanese. She was |
| people looking for a cool respite from the | | | | a very traditional kind of Japanese lady, who |
| summer heat. Nagashima Spaland in Mie | | | | spoke no English. We quickly got underway. |
| Prefecture is a popular water-amusement-park in | | | | She explained to us about how the human |
| summer, as is Tokyo's Summerland, and | | | | element, the theme or human expression, is more |
| Hokkaido's Super Jumbo Pool. Japan even had | | | | important than the technique or rules of Flower |
| the world's largest indoor beach until it closed in | | | | Arrangement; technique comes later, she told us, |
| 2007. | | | | when it comes time to modify and perfect one's |
| | | | | creations further. She, however, took care of |
| Humidity levels are extremely high during summer, | | | | this for us. |
| and many people opt to stay inside and fan | | | | |
| themselves to stay cool. In fact, on the old | | | | My particular arrangement consisted of having |
| Japanese calendar, July was known as | | | | two foreign flowers (common Australian lillies), in |
| ‘Fumizuki' (literally ‘book month'), as it | | | | between two Japanese flowers, with pampas |
| was a good time to stay indoors and read. | | | | grass reeds on either side, around which were |
| Other indoor activities include calligraphy, | | | | spread Japanese Autumn flowers. My theme |
| ‘haiku', tea ceremony, and ‘Ikebana', the | | | | was ‘Mandy and I' (the two Australian lilies) in |
| Japanese art of flower arranging. Natural clothes' | | | | the middle of Japan (the Japanese flowers), |
| dyeing with flowers is also a popular pastime. | | | | looking back on all the experiences (the Autumn |
| | | | | Flowers) we've had here. Sensei seemed to |
| Last summer, my wife Mandy and I had the rare | | | | appreciate that very much, and saw the pampas |
| chance to learn and participate in both natural | | | | grass as a nice ‘frame'. Mandy's didn't have |
| clothes' dyeing and ‘Ikebana'! Flower-dyeing | | | | a theme so much as an image. Hers was a |
| and flower arrangement is not really my thing, but | | | | more European style of a clustered arrangement, |
| I'm also not one to turn down an opportunity, so | | | | which then Sensei picked apart, rearranged and |
| I decided to try it. | | | | perfected, destroying poor Mandy's original idea in |
| | | | | the process! Mandy could see Sensei's point |
| Over the years here we have eaten Japanese | | | | though, and in all fairness, it did look better. |
| food, studied the language, read the history and | | | | |
| literature, listened to (and sung) Japanese music, | | | | However, Sensei was really interested in seeing |
| and even learned karate in a Japanese dojo. We | | | | what ideas and styles two foreign visitors could |
| have climbed Fuji-san, been to baseball games, | | | | come up with, after seeing only Japanese |
| and we even went to a live Sumo match and | | | | students for so many years. I think she |
| watched the "rikishi" (wrestlers), still wearing their | | | | enjoyed it as much as we did, and she was very |
| hair in the samurai top knot, fight it out in the | | | | kind with her time and assistance. Yuko's was a |
| ring! We have participated in a tea ceremony, | | | | more typical, Japanese style arrangement, leaning |
| danced in the Bon Odori, and enjoyed countless | | | | over to one side and looking very Asian/Oriental |
| summer festivals, but we still hadn't experienced | | | | in style. Mandy and I had a very good time, |
| "Japanese Flower Arrangement", and hence we | | | | took many photos, and were pleased to have |
| were both really looking forward to it. | | | | finally experienced the ancient art of Japan's |
| | | | | ‘Ikebana'. |
| So Mandy and I took a train to Kuwana, in Mie, to | | | | |
| meet our Japanese friend, Yuko, and together we | | | | A year has passed since then, and now it's |
| had a traditional Japanese "brunch" - rice, miso | | | | summer again. My wife and I live in the |
| soup, sushi and Japanese tea! | | | | mountains, next to a river, so we will do the usual |
| | | | | things, such as swimming, fishing, enjoying |
| Then she drove us up into the mountains, where | | | | barbecues with friends and so on. We have |
| for 3 days a season, people can try their hand at | | | | already started to observe some of the usual |
| natural clothes dyeing. We were the only ones | | | | seasonal customs. Last night we walked outside |
| there, and had the full attention of the instructing | | | | and admired all the fireflies floating effortlessly in |
| ladies! Now for me, this felt like a feminine | | | | the hot, humid air, and chatted about them with |
| pursuit (I'm not being sexist, but how many men | | | | some neighbors. |
| do you know of, who pick flowers and do natural | | | | |
| clothes dyeing?). However, for the sake of being | | | | Other customs are also coming to light now that |
| able to make and take home something nice for | | | | summer is here, such as baseball. In August, my |
| my mother at Christmas, I decided to not just | | | | wife and I plan to go to Tokyo Dome with some |
| watch my wife, but to get in and get my hands | | | | good Japanese friends and watch the Tokyo |
| dirty, so to speak. I was dyeing in there! I | | | | Giants (my favorite team) battle it out against |
| wanted to dye! | | | | Osaka's Hanshin Tigers (my wife's favorite |
| | | | | team). It will be the highlight of our summer |
| So we chose flowers (marigold, for the yellow | | | | vacation this year. |
| dye), and some leaves of purple-looking plants | | | | |
| (for Indigo dye), to make the dye. They were | | | | We had to laugh when we arrived home today. |
| simply put in a pot and boiled, until the color came | | | | There was a message in our letterbox from the |
| out, and then the flowers were removed. As | | | | local council, asking people to dispose of their |
| we waited for the water to cool, we chose our | | | | "summer religious ceremony" garbage in the right |
| cloth. Mandy and I both chose silk handkerchiefs | | | | way. Apparently, people here put four sticks |
| for our mothers. | | | | into an eggplant, so that it resembles a cow, |
| | | | | (Matsusaka is one of those places in Japan |
| We folded them and tied them in a certain way, | | | | famous for its cows and beef), and then they |
| so as to create a pattern on the cloth when the | | | | place this in their home's Buddhist altar, after |
| dye soaks in. Then we put on gloves, and | | | | which they throw it away, but it has to be put in |
| soaked our chosen cloth. After five minutes of | | | | the correct recycled garbage bags. Sadly, people |
| squeezing and soaking the cloth, we pulled it out | | | | sometimes just throw it in the nearby river so |
| and rinsed it in water, before dunking it into a | | | | they don't have to go to the hassle of disposing it |
| solution which makes the dye set permanently. | | | | properly. Maybe the local council should say to |
| Five minutes later, they were rinsed, and put into | | | | those people, "Don't have a cow, man!" |
| a mini-washing machine. When the spin-dry | | | | |
| function was completed, we ironed them, and put | | | | Yes sir, life is certainly different in this part of the |
| them into a bag to take home. Luckily, the | | | | world, but it's never boring! Even the television |
| patterns we chose worked out perfectly! So did | | | | programs are more interesting, with all the |
| Yuko's, who had done this before, of course. | | | | summer sports and extra movies. The |
| | | | | commercials recently are featuring more beer |
| Anyway, we now had traditional, Japanese | | | | ads, now that it's so hot again. But when they |
| hand-made cloths to present to our mothers at | | | | advertise beer here, they magnify the sound of |
| Christmas that year! Mandy's cloth was marigold, | | | | the "gulps", and the man drinks it down as if it |
| and mine was Indigo/blue. The pattern on both | | | | were cool water and he had just crawled in from |
| our cloths was like rays of the sun emanating | | | | the desert dying of thirst! It's got to be down in |
| from one corner of the silk handkerchief! We | | | | 5 seconds or else! You wonder if he actually got |
| thought that this was rather appropriate | | | | to taste it. |
| considering that they were made in the land of | | | | |
| the rising sun. | | | | Summer in Japan is always lively and entertaining, |
| | | | | and all its associated customs are fascinating. |
| Well, all this driving in the mountains and dyeing | | | | Each and every year, my wife and I find |
| cloth had made us hungry, and Yuko next drove | | | | something new and interesting to experience and |
| us to a little pine cottage restaurant. It was so | | | | enjoy, and I'm sure this summer will be no |
| quaint, and we sat there amidst the scent of | | | | different. |