Year 12 Japanese Ikebana workshop

By Michele Sharp, Head of Languages

In Semester 2 the Year 12 BSSS and IBDP class are studying the themes of Diverse Perspectives and Human Ingenuity. Within these themes students learn how culture and language are expressed and appreciated in diverse mediums such as the arts and sciences.

We recently delved into Japanese tea-drinking culture, where we enjoyed a cup of tea on a cold Canberra morning and ate some green tea flavoured snacks. The students were surprised to find the health benefits of green tea drinking ranged from the prevention of cavities to conditions such as cancer.

On Tuesday, we participated in a practical workshop delivered in Japanese by Sachie Terasaki from Ikebana Canberra. This was a natural extension of our learning on the Japanese aesthetics of ‘wabi sabi’ (valuing impermanence and simplicity) and ‘mono no aware’ (the pathos of things – the emotions that objects evoke).

Ikebana, the art of flower arranging, has a long history in Japan and has connections with the Shinto and Buddhist religions. While some may think of Ikebana as a feminine pursuit, it has been practised as a form of meditation by Buddhist priests and was created by Samurai before going into battle. They viewed the arrangements as an opportunity to purify their minds and as a symbol of their own mortality.

We learnt how to create a traditional basic Ikebana arrangement and a freestyle arrangement, and soon found out it was not as easy as it looked!

Culture is something very much embedded in a language; therefore, we strive to allow our students the opportunity to experience the rich cultural elements of the language they are studying alongside that all-important vocabulary and grammar.