Japanese flower art on show in Hanoi next month

Ikebana, the unique Japanese art of flower arrangement, will be showcased at an event in Hanoi early next month.
Flower arrangements by Eikou Sumara, one of Japan’s top Ikebana artisans, will be on display alongside the Ikebana work of 10 Vietnamese artists at the 2nd Ikebana Festival on December 5. Artists from Japan will also teach visitors how to make simple Ikebana.
Vibrant flower collections, traditional Japanese Kimonos and Ao dai (traditional Vietnamese tunics) will also be presented as part of the event. The Ikebana shows will be supplemented with romantic traditional Japanese music.
Expected to attract more than 3,000 visitors, the festival will be held at the Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) in central Hanoi.
Ikebana is a minimalist and very disciplined art form focusing on line and shape. The arrangements often emphasize the plant’s stems and leaves as much as the flower blossoms. Each arrangement may consist of only a minimal number of blossoms interspersed among stalks and leaves. Various styles of pottery may be used as the work’s container, which is also a key element of every composition.