Ikebana, the ancient Japanese art of flower arranging, is today a female-dominated industry. Meet the men who are trying to change that gendered perception.
Google search the " Ikenoboys " and the first thing that pops up is a photo of three men dressed in sleek black outfits, posed one behind the other with secateurs held to their hip pockets.
In reality, ikebana is a mixed bag of materials, rules and styles that range from flung flowers to piled-up flowers to flowers standing tall and straight.Mr Tanaka says he and the Ikenoboys are attempting to change gendered perceptions of ikebana in Japan through performance art, workshops, men-only exhibitions and an online presence that showed men who do flower arrangements were strong, skilled and stylish.
Another participant, hospitality consultant Jason Corneby, says he went into the workshop wondering how many ways you could arrange flowers.There are competing theories on where Ikebana came from. In a separate room of the Abbotsford Convent, accountant Gary Liu is managing a pop-up stall selling Japanese ikebana vases and tools."It was a gift for my birthday," Mr Liu says. "But then I couldn't stop."During that first workshop, Mr Liu says he felt embarrassed as a man working with flowers but that the gendered stereotypes and myths were quickly dispelled.
Flower Arranging Ikebana Nobuaki Tanaka Japan Flower Men
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Chinese military plane reportedly carries out first violation of Japanese airspaceTwo-minute incursion by a surveillance aircraft, reportedly the first such incident by a military aircraft, comes amid regional tensions in Asia-Pacific region
Read more »
Jetstar denied family travel compensation because receipts were in JapaneseWhat was meant to be a dream holiday in Japan for Cassandra Nichterlein and her young family turned into a costly nightmare when their return flight from Japan was cancelled.
Read more »
Japanese eels can escape predators’ stomach through their gills, finds studyEels use tail-first technique to back up digestive tract of fish towards oesophagus before coming out of gills
Read more »
What to read next: Striking Japanese stories and our submarines at warOur reviewers cast their eyes over recent fiction and non-fiction releases.
Read more »
‘Must-have’ Japanese skincare line launches sale on products dubbed a ‘lifesaver for dry skin’7NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »
Dolphin attacks spoil summer along stretch of Japanese beachesOne man told local media that he was swimming close to the shore when a dolphin bit his arm and tried to force itself on top of him, almost pushing him underwater.
Read more »