Vacations Delivered

Source: Reuters

Male workers in Japan are turning to the country’s traditionally female-dominated art form of flower arranging as a way to reduce stress.

Ikebana, or “the way of flowers,” dates back more than 500 years and first blossomed among male artisans and aristocrats.

Aimed at creating harmony between man and nature as well as heightening the appreciation of the rhythms of the universe, arrangements are conducted in silence using only organic elements put together in a minimalist style.

And it’s this creativity and spirituality that has attracted thousands of Japanese men to reclaim the art form that has more recently been associated with women.

“Nowadays there are a lot of people seeking something that makes them feel at ease,” said Gaho Isono, a master ikebana instructor at Sogetsu, founded in 1927 and one of the first schools to offer flower arranging courses to men.

“There are many hobbies people can do now and there’s no longer the preconception that men cannot arrange flowers. They are free to choose whatever they like and the number of men choosing flowers is actually increasing.”

Japanese society has traditionally put much emphasis on hard work and employees regularly put in long hours in the office, which increases the risk of depression, mental health organizations say.

The nation, which has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, even has a term for death by overwork — karoshi — making stress-relieving activities such as ikebana all the more popular.

Debt and Health Issues Top the List
Japanese workers are reported to be just as stressed over many of the things their American counterparts are coping with: debt and health-related concerns.  Japan is suffering from the same financial woes most Americans are, including the corporate world, where discussions of a commercial loan workout are common, and consumer credit card debt is also a concern.

Although Japan’s workers are said to put in an average of 12 hours a day, they are still facing man of the same financial struggles we are, and consequently, CEOs and CFOs at conglomerates across the country are grappling with issues of debt, layoffs, stock market performance and the commercial mortgage foreclosure landscape.

Flower compositions arranged according to the traditional principles of ikebana are said to represent the relationship between heaven, mankind and earth.

There are an estimated 3,000 ikebana schools across Japan with some 15 million enthusiasts, most of whom see flower arrangement as an antidote to their hectic lives.

“Each time when the class starts at first I feel tired from work,” said male student Koji Takahashi, 45.

“But once I begin concentrating on how to combine the flowers and the vase, and I actually move my hands to create the composition, it’s a change of pace.”

Some men have spent years mastering the art form and now teach new students the therapeutic effects of ikebana.

Minoru Kagata, 61, an instructor at Sogetsu school who took up ikebana almost 20 years ago, said the art “gives life to flowers.” It usually takes students more than two years to create beautiful arrangements with few natural elements, he added.

For many male students, stepping into the ikebana studio is rewarding enough, regardless of how skillful they are.

“Flower arrangement adds that unreal flavor to my life and lets my mind roam free,” said Koji Otusbo, who has been studying ikebana for more than 15 years.

“At the same time, such an artistic hobby is like a bridge that connects me to the real world.”

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My Take:

It’s been proven that, once of the best ways to relieve stress is to find an activity in your life that allows you to do one of two things: get your mind off your problems, or create something with your hands.  Seems to me that flower arranging would fall in line with that premise and, if you’re traveling to Japan you can also sign up for classes in ikebana.

Some people prefer to actually get out in the garden and plant and grow bulbs rather than arrange the fruits of their labor later on.  I say whatever makes a person relax and let go of their problems is a good idea, as long as it’s not going to harm anyone or put someone at risk.

I have a friend who turns light bulbs into art as a hobby.  She paints them with fantastic heat-resistant acrylic paints and sells them at the farmer’s market every weekend.  They look beautiful on their own hanging from a porch outlet or in a lamp.  She also designs seasonal bulbs to go with different holidays, such as spider webs and orange and black designs for Halloween.  Which reminds me: one of my favorite Halloween costumes last year was a guy dressed up like Uncle Fester from the Adams’ Family.  He had the makeup down perfectly and even walked around with a glowing light bulb in his mouth all night long.  It made all those girls dressed up in sexy adult costumes look kind of silly, in my opinion, and really felt more Halloween like to me.

I have another friend who relieves stress by creating unique cards for her friends.  She designs beautiful baby 1^st birthday announcements, shower invitations, birthday cards, and all kinds of creative and unique invitations for special events.  Creativity and mind business.  That’s the key to stress reduction and I’m all for it.

Other Resources:

There are a lot of online sources these days where you can create fantastic, one-of-a kind birth announcements, invitations, thank you cards and more.  Many are free, but others charge a fee for paper and printing.   It all depends on your preference and your taste budget.

New Jersey’s  Monmouth County criminal attorneys offer support for anyone accused of a crime, which includes DUI’s, sex crimes, and white collar crimes.  If you travel to New Jersey and find yourself in need of a lawyer, the online resources for located a good criminal attorney are pretty thorough.