Last weekend we returned to Nagoya for a few days, to catch-up with our friends there. On Tuesday one of them took us to the Hatcho Miso factory in Okazaki. I was really amazed when I learnt that the soy beans were fermented in wooden vats for two years.
This photo is of a fixed display, with models, showing the traditional preparation of the product. The large vat on the right contains six tons of fermenting miso with three tons of stones pressing down on the lid. The factory has been producing miso in this manner since 1645.
We then walked to the nearby, reconstructed, Okazaki Castle, the birthplace of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu.
We were surprised to come across an open air Noh theatre...
...in front of which was this bamboo structure that provides eye-catching illumination at night.
On closer inspection I thought it would provide inspiration for some very patient ikebana practitioners.
We also caught up with June, who was a fellow class-mate in my Ikebana classes back in 1992. Here we are standing by one of the outer walls of Nagoya castle. June and her husband, Takashi, took us to a sports centre within the old grounds of the castle where there was a ceramics exhibition.
It was being held on the floor of a Sumo wrestling stadium. As these photos show, it was a huge exhibition and market.
Potters came from all around Japan to participate. The temptation to buy was very considerable. However, the weight and bulk of the ceramics constrained our impulses and we only bought two items.
On Saturday last week I attended a class with Master Instructor, Kosa Nishiyama at her studio. In the flower shop nearby I brought two stems of red Siberian Dogwood and a single branch of Eucalyptus. The latter had a pink flush on the stem. Instead of buying flowers I decided to use vegetables and fruit. I had earlier noticed some Dragon Fruit in a supermarket and was drawn to its vibrant pink and contrasting green leaves. Some Broccoli was also added to my shopping list. These choices meant that the colour pallet of the materials was limited to red and green.
This is a photo of my second self-selected exercise before correction. I had chosen a black metal vessel that was made with two tubes bent into a "V" shape, which were fixed parallel to each other off-centre and about 8cm apart. I placed the two Dogwood stems on the left side and the Eucalyptus on the right. To balance the arrangement I placed the Broccoli on the left leaning forward so that it presented its dome-shaped green surface to the front. I was not satisfied about the large space between the two parts.
In her critique, Nishiyama sensei suggested that I bring the tip of the Eucalyptus curving down to connect with the Broccoli. As she held it in that position the ikebana immediately came together as a unified arrangement. Unfortunately I did not have time to photograph the corrected work as I had to rush off to another appointment.
This is the first ikebana I created with the the Dogwood and the Dragon fruit. I had placed the vessel upside down. Because of the extreme flexibility of the Dogwood I was able to secure it between the bars that joined the two "V" shaped tubes. I had impaled the fruit on a short stem of the Dogwood which lined up with the main stem. Sensei's correction was to create some space between the vessel and the Dragon Fruit by lifting it a little above the vessel. The photo shows the corrected version.
Greetings from Christopher
25th November 2023
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