The Society of Undergraduate Students with Interest in Japan hosted its second annual Japan cultural seminar with a workshop on ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement. The event was attended by about 40 students and community members.
Sayoko Miyazaki, a Japanese language professor who began her training in ikebana when she was in grade school, began by offering a short demonstration of some of the basics of flower arrangement and design.
She introduced the concept of a visual triad that represents heaven, earth and man. She also said that while she is trained in the school of ikebana that most emphasizes simplicity, her arrangements blend traditional and contemporary styles.
Miyazaki said the goal of ikebana is to capture the beauty of nature. But she said ikebana has virtues beyond the aesthetic. "It's more than just an art," Miyazaki said. "It also gives discipline that helps with meditation."
She said there is a third benefit to knowing how to arrange flowers according to traditional guidelines. "If (Japanese women) know how to make arrangements, it's easier to get married," Miyazaki said.
After learning the basic rules of ikebana, each attendee received a small basket and selected different branches to design his or her own arrangement.
SUSHI Co-president Cynthia Rawling said the free rein participants received in designing their flower arrangements highlighted the group's mission. "We get to be creative but learn about the culture as well," she said.
Rawling and Co-president Noriko Satake founded SUSHI in February 2001. Since then, the organization has offered a variety of events, Rawling said, including a picnic with the Chinese Undergraduate Student Association and a calligraphy fund-raiser.
"We do American events also so Japanese exchange students can get a taste of America," she said.
