Floral tribute to Japans tsunami victims

CHENNAI: The city that had suffered the ravages of a tsunami can relate to the country that is still reeling from the shock of one. As a gesture of encouragement and goodwill, members of the International Women’s Association (IWA) organised an Ikebana exhibition at the residence of the Consul General of Japan.Ikebana is a form of floral arrangement unique to Japan. It is considered a disciplined art form, and often emphasises other parts of the flower, like the stems or leaves. President of IWA, Cherry Venkatesan, while explaining the arrangement on display said, “There are three parts to it - the subject, the secondary and the object. The three parts combine to give it a wave-like form, representing the tsunami. All the flowers used are white, which signifies respect to the dead.” Nita Reddy and Kusum Chaddha worked on the arrangement as well. Consul General of Japan in Chennai, Masanori Nakano, was also present at the exhibition. He spoke about the resilience of the Japanese, saying, “It is apt that an Ikebana arrangement is being dedicated to the memory of the people. Just as a flower knows when to bloom, the Japanese know how to blossom again.”Talking about the extent of the tsunami, he said, the families of the missing are refusing to take compensation, as they are hopeful their loved ones are still alive.