“Reiwa Celebration”
“I met with Noh no Ikebana for the first time in 1989 when the master of Noh no Ikebana, Toshie Yokoi (1912-2004), came to the agricultural cooperative in my hometown in Aichi Prefecture, then Higashi Chita Nokyo which is now JA Aichi Chita. I thought it was interesting, so I went to see her. Then I was astonished by the idea of giving a new life to a twisted daikon radish, something that I used to do away with, as a star in her arrangement. I still remember the moment Ms. Yokoyama told us that this is something only we farmers can do.
Since then, whenever I see uniquely-shaped vegetables, I start to think about how I can use them in my Noh no Ikebana arrangements. I grow many kinds of vegetables like okra, cabbage, broccoli, and spinach. Noh no Ikebana is an excellent promotional tool for us farmers, too. You see, the vegetables are great to look at and eat. I think it’s wonderful.
I made this arrangement with the members of Noh no Ikebana Club that belongs to the Agui Women’s Group of JA Aichi Chita. We want to celebrate the coming of the new Reiwa era. Nandina is said to bring in good fortune, and the two Chinese characters in the middle read ‘Reiwa,’ the name of the new era. We created them using rice.”
<Container and tool> A container for sake and an earthen pot
<Materials> Nandina, spring onions, daikon radishes, field mustard, carrots, turnips, rice, etc.