Japanese Cultural Experience and Bonsai

On Thursday 28th May, the Consul General of Japan, Ms Keiko Haneda invited some special guests to a Japanese Cultural Experience and luncheon that was held at her official residence. Ikebana International was asked to provide some arrangements, an Ikebana demonstration and a workshop for the guests before lunch. The Urasenke Tea Ceremony group participated after lunch. Invited guests as well as the presenters enjoyed the experience of these expressions of Japanese culture.

The welcoming arrangement was created by Chieko Yazaki of the Shogetsudokoryu School. 

Helen Gray, the President of I.I. Melbourne, volunteered to wear a Kimono and was dressed expertly by the Tea Ceremony ladies.

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At the meeting on 14th July our guest speaker was Mr Bruce Argaet, president of the Waverley Bonsai Group, assisted by Mr Bruce Wensor, the group's secretary.

In the photo above Mr Argaet is demonstrating what not to do. That is, decorate bonsai in its pot. A figurine such as the fisherman in this image may be placed on the table next to the pot but not on the soil. Members were interested in the high degree of correspondence between the principles governing Bonsai and Ikebana practise. Below are two spectacular examples of Mr Argaet's skill in the art of Bonsai.

A manchurian pear tree with a split trunk, as though it had been struck by lightning.

The larger tree in this photo is a Banksia with very beautiful, rough, textured bark.

After the presentation Mrs Aiko Nakada, Head of the Ohara School in Melbourne, gave a demonstration of a moribana arrangement representing a tree in winter.

      

The completed work with flowers added.   

Some members made ikebana to complement the Bonsai theme of the meeting, which can be viewed by clicking on the blue text, Member Photos.

JAPANESE DAY

The meeting on Tuesday 9th June began with a brief remembrance tribute to our former member Mrs Masumi Jackson, who died in March. Mrs Jackson established the Melbourne branch of the Ichiyo School in 1988 and was remembered as a much valued Life Member of Ikebana International Melbourne Chapter. In her early life she taught at a High School and University in Tokyo. She married her Australian husband, a lecturer at RMIT, in 1984. In Australia she became very active in a wide range of cultural and charitable pursuits. In addition to ikebana she practised tea ceremony, Noh theatre and paper doll making. There is an article about her on the Museum Victoria website: Masumi Hiraga Jackson and another group of pages about her donations of cultural items to the Museum's collections.
Masumi Hiraga Jackson Collection.

At the meeting her students spoke affectionately about their teacher and created a display in her memory.

These are some paper dolls made by Mrs Jackson.

Masumi Jackson 1935 - 2015

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Following the tribute to Masumi Jackson the meeting activities proceeded as planned on the theme of Japanese Day. Our guest presenter was the chef Mr Sam Ito, who gave a demonstration of making Sushi.

Mr Ito explained many correct techniques including how to slice fish...

...and create a sushi roll using a bamboo mat.

 The granddaughter of one of our members was the first 'volunteer' to practise this skill. 

Subsequently members made the sushi rolls, shown in the photo above, that were enjoyed for our lunch. In keeping with this theme, members made ikebana using tableware in lieu of vases, that can be seen on the following link, Ikebana for the table. 

AUTUMN BOUNTY

The theme of the meeting on 12th May was 'All the Bounty of Autumn in a Basket'. 

The photo above shows Lee Johnstone giving a demonstration in which she used a variety of autumn materials in a round bodied basket.   

The arrangement in this photo was dedicated our late member Masumi Jackson.

Click here for: Additional Photos