GEELONG JAPANESE FESTIVAL

 

Yesterday three of my Geelong students and I participated in a one day Festival organised by the Japanese Association of Geelong. It was held at the Geelong Show Grounds and offered a wide range of activities, and displays of Japanese material culture. The activities included taiko drumming, cosplay, musical events, martial arts, bonsai and origami workshops. The material culture included contemporary and traditional clothing, domestic ceramics, fabrics and Sogetsu School ikebana. Over the course of the day more than 4,000 people attended the event.

On the stage in this photo are the finalists in the cosplay competition.

Here are half of the passionate bonsai artists who remained at work throughout the day. The other half of the bonsai artists were in a second row of tables behind this one.

In the middle of the hall my students and I had a satisfyingly busy day answering questions about ikebana. We were also surprised to meet people we knew from our community who had an interest in some aspect of Japanese culture that we had not known about.

I asked my students to create two ikebana arrangements each for the event. 

My student Anne made these two examples above, which are exercises from the early part of the curriculum.

Ellie, a senior student, made these two ikebana arrangements. Each being a different way of emphasising water.

Christine, also a senior student, made these two ikebana works. The second one is an ikebana incorporating man-made material; in this case, strips of copper and brass.

My first ikebana uses spent Agapanthus stems from which I have removed the seeds. I added some Leucadendron with red stems and inflorescences. I removed some of the leaves to show the red of the  Leucadendron stem, and placed dried Agapanthus to highlight the inflorescences

For my second ikebana I used two pieces of Moonah  driftwood on one side of the arrangement. Then I set two smallish leaves of Strelitzia nicoli, and three disbud Chrysanthemums on the opposite side. The third Chrysanthemum was  placed at the mouth of the vessel behind the leaves, because the work could be seen from behind. This "neatened the mouth of the vessel" where the leaf stems enter, which is an important teaching in the Sogetsu School. 

The large cylindrical vessel is by Graeme Wilkie.

Greetings from Christopher
20th April 2026