The uchiwa hand fan has been a centuries-old accessory to beat the summer heat in Japan.
We got some blank ones at the shop that are waiting for your child's creativity to design. They are free on Jun 24th & 25th. (One fan per child...while supply lasts.) Next week, $3 per fan.
Join us to learn the different tastes in Japanese green tea. We won’t be using paper cups!
Tanabata (七夕) is a festival celebrating the reunion of two star-crossed lovers: Altair (the Cow-herd star) and Vega (the Weaver star). There are many versions of this ancient Chinese legend, but the main gist is about how Altair and Vega were forbidden to see each other again by Vega’s father, the Heavenly King. The two are separated by the Milky Way and were allowed to meet only on the 7th day of the 7th month. On this day, a bridge would appear on the Milky Way and the two could meet. However, if it rained that day, the bridge would not appear.
In Japan, tanabata is celebrated by writing one's wish on a small piece of paper (called "tanzaku") and hanging the wish on a bamboo branch. If on on the eve July 7th, the sky is clear and you can see the stars, then your wish will come true!
Next time you visit the shop, please make a wish and hang it on our bamboo branches. We've prepared the paper for you plus you get an origami star [while supply lasts] to remind you to watch the stars on July 7th! (All free of charge of course...)
(All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
Join us for another fun origami workshop on Jun 11th (Sat)!
Join us at "Safe Harbour: Celebrating Asian Heritage" at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Free admission. Miyako will be there to demonstrate and teach origami. Jun 5th (Sun) 2-4 p.m. See you there
Thank you to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for inviting us!
Thank you to all who joined us at the Alderney Gate Public Library last night! We hope your interest in ikebana has been piqued!
Thank you to the Halifax Public Libraries for inviting us!
There has been recent news that radiation has been detected in Japanese tea leaves produced in Minami-ashigara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Certainly a cause of concern but this place is still far away from Kyoto, where our tea is produced. But to be prudent, the Kyoto Tea Industry Cooperative Association had this year’s new tea crop tested for radiation. Result: NO RADIATION DETECTED. On top of this, our tea farmer went the extra mile and commissioned an independent test to check specifically the new tea crop produced in 2011 on their farm. Result: NO RADIATION DETECTED.
Copies of the certifications are reproduced here.
We do our best to provide correct information. But in the end, it is up to each individual to choose what to believe. If one is not comfortable with Japanese tea at this point in time, we well respect that. What we can promise is that we will not compromise safety and quality.
And by the way, at the time of writing, all the tea being sold in our shop are from last year’s harvest. So far, we haven’t ordered any new harvest tea yet. We will make it known to you when we start putting 2011-harvest teas on our shelves. [See also “Part 1” of why our tea is safe: /theikebanashop/our-tea-is-safe-part-1]
(Photo by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
We made an origami spinning top and we thought you might like to see what it looks like and what it does. It is made from 3 sheets of square origami paper. No cutting, no pasting.
We are thinking of including this in our next origami workshop. No date has been decided yet so please wait for our announcement.
Enjoy!
Thank you to all who joined us at the Keshen Goodman Library. We did an origami demonstration and workshop as part of the Asian Heritage Month Open House. People got to see flat pieces of paper transform into cats, dogs, cranes, boxes, watches, balloons, etc.
Thank you to the Halifax Public Libraries for inviting us!
(All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
“Nana korobi ya oki.” (七転八起) is a Japanese proverb that means “fall down seven times, get up eight times.” It attests to the never-give-up-spirit. Our little daruma dolls will always stay upright no matter how much you tip them over!
“Daruma” refers to the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma (ca. 5th/6th century). He is credited to be the founder of Zen Buddhism. In Japan, daruma dolls are symbols of perseverance (towards a goal) and good luck. They are gifts of encouragement.
Hand-made right here in Nova Scotia! $2.50 ea. Limited supply.
(Photo by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)
