MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Japanese culture is renown for its distinct traditions, music and art forms created to calm the soul and uplift the spirit.
Ikebana, or the art of flower arrangement, is one of those art forms unique to Japan.
Kumiko Tsuhara, an Ikebana instructor of the Sogetsu school with more than 50 years experience, teaches an Ikebana class at the station library here 6 – 8 p.m. every Thursday.
Community members from around the station participate in the class to learn a bit of Japanese culture and experience the unique art form.
“This is our Japanese culture,” said Tsuhara. “Seasons bring many different flowers, and flowers are the most beautiful thing in nature. People enjoy flowers, and when they cut them to take home, people wonder how to arrange them. I want to teach them how.”
Tsuhara said Ikebana makes people happy because flowers give off good energy, and no one is angry or mad when they are around flowers.
Ikebana is a traditional Japanese art form with a 600-year history within the culture.
While European flower arrangements are balanced out through symmetry of size and color, Ikebana flower arrangements are achieved through variations of stem sizes and opposing colors, and are often asymmetrical.
It was originally practiced by Buddhists disciples, rich lords and samurai after returning from war as a way to pacify their minds.
Today, after 600 years, it continues to catch people’s attention as an expressive and relaxing art form.
“Any Ikebana arrangement that I‘ve seen was really, really cool, and I kind of wanted to see if I could do that,” said Nina Woods, an Ikebana student. “It’s actually very fulfilling and enjoyable to me.”
Woods said she finds the class to be an amazing time for herself with her busy schedule of being a working spouse and a mom.
“I think it’s beneficial especially for working spouses,” said Woods.
“You need that time to just kind of decompress and (relieve) stress and get energy from the flowers. It’s just kind of that Zen type situation.”
For more information on Ikebana class times and prices, call 253-3078.