TOKYO —

It’s that time of the year again, to stretch out on the lawns of Yoyogi Park and admire the delicate cherry blossoms overhead — while hoping none of them fall in our beer. One thing to ponder this season is, how did this ruckus about hanami get started, anyway? And what is it with Japan and all these flowers?

Ask any armchair academic with a hankering for Japonica, and you’ll get theories about how the country’s agricultural history provides the perfect basis for the appreciation of botany, about harvests and Shintoism and balance with nature. But digging deeper, the appreciation for flora has unexpected roots, something you’d never guess when watching the seas of salarymen enjoying their sake beneath the blossoms.

Japan’s love affair with all that blooms is actually not homegrown at all — many of the flowers and plants that are highly valued here, such as plum trees and the chrysanthemum, were originally imported from China some time before the 8th century. And while the sight of these exotic new beauties enticed the locals, that alone wasn’t enough to spark romance. Another import, again Chinese, was responsible: poetry. Although Japan has its own form of lyrical art, the thirst that nobles had for overseas culture in the Nara and Heian Periods (710-1185) was enough to spark a poetry boom.

Beginning in the Kamakura period (1192-1333), “the emperor often held renga poetry competitions where, even if you were low in rank, if you had poetic talent, you had a good chance at getting promoted,” says Sumiko Enbutsu, author of “A Flower Lover’s Guide to Tokyo” (Kodansha, 2008). The popularity of these contests eventually filtered down to commoners, who would bet money on their poetic prowess. Lyrical mastery thus became a way to move up in the world, to gain fame and fortune. And the best way to get your poetic groove on? To use seasonal imagery of natural beauty. The one-week lifespan of “sakura,” of course, was the perfect vehicle for representing the “impermanence of life” and “ephemeral beauty.” “Because poetry has been an undercurrent of Japanese culture, flowers, too, have been part of this foundation,” Enbutsu says.

Although the poetic pastime thrived for centuries, the trend in Meiji-period Japan was to leave lyricism behind while focusing on modernization. It wasn’t until after World War II that Japan’s culture got back to its floral roots. By the time that the International Garden and Greenery Exposition was held in Osaka in 1990, nature was back in the limelight.

Japan’s intense connection with nature survives today, albeit with a different focus. Functionally, flowers and plants have found new uses during Japan’s current “eco-boom,” such as when an elementary school in Itabashi-ku laced local buildings last summer with “green curtains,” a net of plants grown up over exterior walls to block heat and lower energy costs.

Aesthetically, simple color schemes and clean lines of glass and steel have become design staples, and designers are increasingly looking toward the magic of flowers and plants for both inspiration and as a way to soften all those harsh angles. And while spaces like the Imperial Hotel feature Western-style arrangements, a growing number of hotels, such as the Strings Intercontinental in Shinagawa and Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel in Shibuya, show off ikebana installations in their lobbies.

Ikebana changing to fit the times

Originally a traditional religious practice that later became an art mainly for women, ikebana is changing to fit the times and find its niche in modern life. “While the spiritual quality of ikebana and basic rules remain, it’s really turned into an art — both in the sense of self-expression and aesthetic enjoyment,” says Eika Furudate, an ikebana instructor who offers classes in both Japanese and English.

Furudate credits the design-friendly aspect of ikebana as helping propel it into lounges and office buildings worldwide. Unlike the symmetrical, round shapes and overly-busy style of Western flower arrangements, Japanese ikebana utilizes both active areas and clean, quiet lines to produce an artful asymmetrical effect.

“The goal of ikebana is to both echo the atmosphere of the space it’s displayed in, and to transform it as well,” Furudate says. And while ikebana wasn’t originally meant to be viewed from all angles, its use as a focal point in large open spaces has changed the way the arrangements are designed. Artists now have the challenge of creating unbalanced beauty that is pleasing from 360 degrees.

Interior design isn’t the only field in which floral displays can be found. Nicolai Bergmann, a Tokyo-based floral designer from Denmark, explains that big-name brands have begun to realize the power of the blooms as a marketing device. “For example with Sony, they used flowers as inspiration for a range of colored Vaio laptops; I’ve also designed a range of watches for Seiko using flowers as inspiration.” Bergmann contends that part of the popularity of botanicals is due to the fact that female consumers, an enormous market in Japan, are especially drawn to flowers in product design and promotion.

But he also notes that, in contrast to his home country, most Japanese don’t incorporate flowers into their daily lives—something he’s trying to change. “I want to promote the sale of flowers for one’s own simple enjoyment; people love receiving flowers, but they feel it’s extravagant to purchase for themselves. I feel people underestimate the effect flowers can have on one’s personal space. Not only are they one of the easiest ways to style your home interior, but they really do bring energy into the home and take the hard edge off big-city living.”

Another local promoter of the floral lifestyle is Shigeo Fujita, owner of Bonsai-ya Bar in Ebisu. Fujita first took an interest in bonsai while working in Walt Disney World in Florida, and was surprised to find that what in Japan was considered a stodgy and expensive hobby for older men was actually well-known and even admired in the United States. “Bonsai really represents the Japanese obsession with detailed, technical things, and I wanted to show Japanese people how esteemed their culture is. That’s how I got the idea to go back to Japan and open a shop.”

After debuting with a store in Harajuku in 1992, Fujita opened Bonsai-ya Bar in 2001. Here, customers can acquaint themselves with bonsai, learn how to care for and maintain the plants, and take home their own piece of miniature nature—all over a few drinks. “The cute ones, especially cherry or plum trees, are all getting really popular, especially with the younger crowd,” says Fujita, who not only teaches lessons but also sells the plants.

Bonsai experiencing boom

To be sure, bonsai has been experiencing something of boom lately — a survey by the Japan Agriculture Co-Op found that 34% of Japanese people buy at least one “kanyou shokubutsu” (small potted plant) a year. The plethora of bonsai and “koke-tama” (moss that’s shaped into balls with flowers or bushes planted inside) lining the shelves of housewares shops across the city make the trend difficult to ignore.

Although Bonsai-ya customers can commune with nature over wine or cocktails, the conversation isn’t limited to botanical topics. “I like to think of it as a way to get to know others by using bonsai as an opportunity to bring different people together,” Fujita says. Indeed, the bar’s foreigner-friendly atmosphere is giving it an international cachet: the Tokyo Metropolitan Government recently used it in advertising campaigns in France, inviting Parisians to experience their own les bonsais Japonais.

Indeed, Japanese floral culture is catching on not only with the urban crowd in its home country, but all over the world. Ikebana is enjoying global popularity, with the largest international organization, Ikebana International, boasting over 160 chapters in 60 countries. Fujita, for one, isn’t surprised that he “discovered” bonsai overseas. “Designers abroad are also really fascinated by bonsai because the natural angles the twisted branches take just can’t be reproduced or imitated with computer technology.”

There is, however, another trend that defies the image of “impermanence” associated with ikebana, bonsai and their ilk: preserved flowers. Through special preservation techniques, the lifespan of certain blooms can be measured in years rather than days or weeks. Once possible only in limited applications, like wedding bouquets and corsages for special occasions, the flower preservation industry is booming thanks to new technology — think of it as botanical embalming. “They look incredibly alive, and can be used in arrangements in the same way as fresh-cut flowers,” explains Bergmann. “It’s really become a big market in Japan; a large portion of my sales is now in preserved flower arrangements.”

With indoor displays to be seen year-round and preservation techniques extending the lifespan of blooms, flower fans can enjoy the beauty of nature whenever they like. But will the loss of temporality change the value and the meaning they hold?

And what about the kings of “fleeting beauty,” the sakura? As climate changes make the “sakura zensen” (cherry-blossom front) and other seasonal botanical celebrations increasingly difficult to predict, frenzied Tokyoites find it hard to adequately plan for their commune with nature. Maybe it’s time for “hanami” to be buffeted by the winds of modernization. Is it just a matter of time until someone develops a technique to keep the sakura blooming for months at a time? Let the drinking parties carry on!

Ikebana Classes with Eika Furudate

Certified ikebana instructor Eika Furudate teaches flower arrangement Wednesdays and Fridays, 7-8:30 p.m. Learn the ins and outs of the art and flex your creative muscles. 2,500 yen per lesson, or 9,000 yen for four lessons, plus materials fee. Reservations required one week in advance. Private home lessons are also available. http://www.ikebana-eika.com

Bonsai Lessons @ Bonsai-ya Bar

Shigeo Fujita offers 60-90-minute bonsai lessons for individuals and groups (up to 10), Mon-Sat, noon-and 6 p.m. Try your hand at customizing your own mini tree and learn how to care for the plants. 5,250 yen per lesson, reservations required. http://www.bonsaiart.tv; bon@cc.alles.or.jp

Worldwide ikebana organization with over 55 locations. Offers twice-weekly classes at its Omotesando school starting at 2,500 yen per lesson, plus materials fee. Reservations required at least one day in advance. http://www.ohararyu.or.jp/english/index_e.html

Starting next month, Bergmann will be offering lessons on floral design from his Omotesando location. Email for more information. school@nicolaibergmann.com; http://www.nicolaibergmann.com

Roppongi Hills Gardening Club

Offers gardening activities twice a month outdoors in the middle of Tokyo. Registration fee 10,000 yen; annual membership fee 60,000 yen. http://www.roppongihills.com/jp/gardening

Flower Walks

Sumiko Enbutsu’s “A Flower Lover’s Guide to Tokyo” provides itineraries for 40 walks through the metropolis, showcasing a variety of the city’s best gardens. Available at Aoyama Book Center (5-53-7 Jingumae, Minato-ku; http://www.aoyamabc.co.jp) and Tower Books (1-22-14 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku; 03-3496-3661).

1 Comments

• 

  sassy at 03:29 PM JST - 18th March

  omoshiroi

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