Although I have never had a flair for floral arrangement, I could not pass up the opportunity of attending an Ikenobo workshop at Tokyo Street Pavilion KL yesterday afternoon, especially when the presenter was as esteemed as Datin Too Soo Keng, principal of Ikenobo Malaysia no less. She was ably assisted by Tyller Goh, principal of Ikenobo KL branch.

Ikenobo is the oldest and largest school of Ikebana or Japanese floral art. This art form has flourished since it was founded by a Japanese monk, Senno in the 15th century. The home of Ikenobo is in a temple in Kyoto. There are 3 Ikenobo styles namely free style, Shoka and Rikka, the 3rd being the most complicated. Datin Too demonstrated all 3 styles within an hour and then demonstrated an arrangement with anthuriums, carnations and various leaves for media and guests to follow.

All the floral arrangements displayed at the venue are beautiful and some are astonishingly by students as young as 7 years old which shows that anyone can learn this art form no matter what their age. The exhibition is on from now till 12th August 2019.

When it came to our turn to arrange the flowers and leaves distributed to us, I admit I was a bit lost as to where to cut the stalks and what angle to insert the flowers in the sponge. Nevertheless it was quite fun and interesting. I can see why there are avid fans of Ikenobo although this is not an affordable hobby for everyone as some of the flowers are flown in from Japan.

Pavilion KL hosts Ikenobo Malaysia, a prestigious chapter of Japan Ikenobo Society of Floral Arts in showcasing this gorgeous floral exhibition. When you see the displays, you can appreciate the tremendous amount of work that went into each amazing creation. With two successful exhibitions since 2017, this is the third time experienced members of Ikenobo Malaysia Ipoh and KL set out to impress once again.

Following Japan Expo Malaysia 2019 (JEMY 2019), this event is in conjunction with the celebration of Tokyo Street’s 8th anniversary. Catch the live floral arrangement tomorrow from 2pm to 245pm.