Amin Abbas

DUBAI: An Ikebana and Chado workshop was held in Abu Dhabi on March 26, the first collaboration between the UAE’s Ohara School of Ikebana and “Japanese Tea Ceremony” Urasenke Abu Dhabi Study Group.

The workshop featured two groups of people, where one group was learning the concept of Ikebana and the basic form of it by using Sakura, while the other group was learning the way of traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony.

The people who attended the workshop had such wonderful time learning about both the Ikebana and the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony.

Ikebana professor Harue Oki from Ohara School of Ikebana UAE Chapter said about the workshop: “Normally, cultivated Cherry Blossoms don’t come at the end of March because they bloom at this time in Japan. So in Ikebana we usually use flowers about 2 months ahead of its blooming time so today’s Sakura was specially ordered to a cultivator in Japan.”

“This workshop is the very first collaboration with Urasenke Abu Dhabi Study Group for ‘Japanese Tea Ceremony’ as part of the 50^th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between UAE & Japan, I was very pleased to see many people who are interested in learning Japanese culture,” she added.

Yuka Hiraiwa from Urasenke Abu Dhabi Study Group for ‘Japanese Tea Ceremony’ said about the workshop: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we had several workshops and tea procedure together, I feel that people here could understand more about the spirit of the way of tea. Japanese tea is not a ceremonial, it’s everyday life. Practicing the Chado, we learn the real importance of life through it.”

“I’m so surprised that there are many Emiratis who are interested in Chado and Ikebana. Today’s workshop was amazing, and we all had a great opportunity with them,” she added.