Filtering by Category: just for fun

Spring Blooms In Japan

Added on April 21, 2024 by the ikebana shop.

Spring time is a wonderful time to be in Japan. Apart from the sakura, there are many more beautiful blooms coming out. Let us show you two places we visited this year.

The Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila) field at the Musashi Kyuryo Shinrin National Park (国営武蔵丘陵森林公園) or just “Shinrin Koen” as the locals would normally refer to it. Of course, the Nemophila field at the Hitachi Seaside Park (Ibaraki Prefecture) is bigger and more famous; but still, the one at Shinrin Koen is also a glorious sight!

The wisteria of Tamashiki Shrine (玉敷神社). The shrine was founded in 703. The wisteria dates back about 400 years!

Matcha Tiramisu Japanese Garden

Added on December 9, 2021 by the ikebana shop.

What does one do when it is a snow day? We make matcha tiramisu and then Japanese gardens, of course!

The big rocks were chunks of nutty chocolate; the pebbles were crushed choco puffs. The moss is matcha and the pond? A blue sports drink made into jelly! The only non-food item is the stone lantern. That was 3D printed!

Underneath all that is the tiramisu, made from mascarpone cheese, cream, etc, and matcha instead of espresso coffee! They looked too good to eat…but eventually, we did!

Just For Fun: Ikebana'GGuy

Added on July 9, 2018 by the ikebana shop.

Three years ago, we had some fun building a miniature soba shop. Remember? This year, we made a miniature of our shop...and then some!

Before anything else, a little background. Let us introduce Petit'GGuy (pronounce "poochi-guy"). Gunpla fans will be familiar with him. He has a mascot-like existence in the Gundam franchise. He stands 36 feet tall and is very cute. He is also adept in the martial arts. ;-)

Hi! This display was pretty cute! These Gundam Petit'GGuy plastic models are pretty cool. I didnt know they had so many variations lol. For more info you can check out this site http://bandai-hobby.net/site/gunpla_petitgguy.html I hope you enjoy the video!

Anyway....

We made our version and called him "Ikebana'GGuy". (After all, "Gunpla is freedom!" right?) He has our logo as his helmet. The big Q on his chest stands for "Quinpool"--our street! Here he is standing in front of our shop. This is in 1/144 scale.

Let's compare the miniature shop with the real one!

And, to spice it up a bit, we installed LED lights!

Next time you visit the shop, say hello to Ikebana'GGuy...and turn his lights on!

Moribana Containers From The Past

Added on June 17, 2018 by the ikebana shop.

It is not unusual for us to receive our supply of flower containers wrapped in newspaper. Well, recently 2 suiban arrived bundled in very old, yellowing newspaper...from Sep 30, 1972! Apparently, these containers had been forgotten in some storeroom somewhere and were only unearthed recently. Don't ask us how we found them....it's a trade secret!

Check the stock prices! Canon Inc on Sept 30, 1972 was worth 206 yen.  As of June 15, 2018, it's now worth 3752 yen! — Check the stock prices! Canon Inc on Sept 30, 1972 was worth 206 yen. As of June 15, 2018, it's now worth 3752 yen!

Old newspapers are like time capsules. See what's all the rage back then...

The latest automobile from Nissan, the Laurel.
The latest microwave oven from National (Panasonic).
The latest 4-channel stereo from Toshiba...featuring The Beatles!

Oh, we almost forgot to show you... This is the suiban, half-moon in bright orange. If it is still available, this link will bring you to our online shop.

A Little Squirrel Fun At Our Soba Shop

Added on August 15, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

Summer time in Nova Scotia...it's the time when our little friends in the woods come out and gather food. So we thought to put up a little "soba shop".

Pretty soon, a customer came sniffing around.

Hope he liked the food...

Nope, we didn't serve any alcohol. He probably was just head-over-heels with our menu! :-)

Please come again!

Hydrangea And Iris

Added on June 29, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

June is the time of the year when the hydrangea (ajisai) and irises (shobu) bloom in Japan. Hydrangea can be found most everywhere!

Growing wild on the roadside...

In temples and gardens...

Irises are less easier found. We went to a park in Saitama dedicated to irises. It is called the Someya Hana Shobu En (染谷花しょぶ園) and it opens only in June every year, when the irises are blooming.

We feel very lucky indeed to catch the blooms this year! After our walk around the garden, we treated ourselves to some wagashi sweets, appropriately iris-themed!

Creating Ripples With A Bird Mobile

Added on February 13, 2014 by the ikebana shop.

Have you seen our bird mobile?

They are hand-made using cardboard stock and recycled fabric.

The birds are just for decoration but they do play an important role in the shop. It's all about energy flows. From the entrance to the back wall of our tiny shop is a straight line of walking space. We needed something to create ripples of energy at the centre of the store without entirely blocking its path. Our little birds are like rocks on a steady-flowing stream. They disrupt the current and create a few magic waves that make everything around them more interesting!

On your next visit to our shop, please look up. :-)

Our Little Privacy Screen

Added on December 24, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

The byoubu is the Japanese folding screen adorned with beautiful paintings. They are used ostensibly to separate spaces and create some privacy...but are also a way of displaying lovely art.

Image from Flickr. Please click on the photo to go to the original source.

We took inspiration from the Japanese byoubu and made our own privacy screen for the shop's credit/debit machine keypad. We didn't paint this. Just recycled some fabric from kimono scraps.

We used to make a conscious effort to look away as customers key in their PINs. Now, we don't have to! :-)

We hope the little space created to protect your PIN is comfy and pleasant!

Hariko No Tora, The Papier-Mâché Tiger

Added on December 1, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

from The Tyger by William Blake, 1794.

Hariko no tora, the papier-mâché tiger, is a traditional Japanese craft.

In Japan, tigers are known for their bravery and also for having close-knit families.

The papier-mâché tiger represents courage and family love.

The tigers are also there to help children grow strong and healthy.

Perhaps the more famous and interesting type of hariko no tora is the one with the bobbing head. We have a big one in the shop to welcome you!

RAWR! Don't be scared. It doesn't bite. :-)

We're not particularly big fans of GIFs but in this case, this GIF is probably appropriate to show you the bobbing head. :-)

Please visit the shop and pet our tigers!

If you are interested to learn about how the tigers are made, please visit this site. It is in Japanese only but there are a lot of photos. The paper they use is washi, Japanese paper.