Summer Festival in Concord
Clockwise from top left: Master Hideko Metaxas (in blue) and two assistants arranging an example of Rikka Shofutai; a free-style arrangement in honor of the victims and the philanthropists in the Tohoku Tsunami 2011; an Ikenobo sensei arranging a free-style display; Shoka (left) versus Rikka (right)
Learn something new everyday. At the Japanese American Summer Festival in Concord this year, I absorbed an hour of Ikenobo ikebana art, which is really, really, really rudimentary, but at least now I know that the Rikka style involves nine elements, and the Shoka style three elements (heaven, earth and man).
That day was also the first I’ve heard of the “Three Friends of Winter” sho chiku bai (pine, bamboo and plum), and this astonished me because 1. I’d never encountered any old Chinese things that my mom hasn’t told me about, and 2. it involves plum blossom, which is my name. There’s no way I wouldn’t know that my name is part of a trio that appears in Asian arts and folklores at lunar new year time. My memories must have been failing. 🙁 Anyhow, Nancy made a beautiful onigiri box that follows the sho chiku bai theme:
Homemade sho chiku bai onigiri by Nancy Togami: white onigiri with aonori and sesame (sho), yellow onigiri with fukujinzuke (chiku), and pink umeboshi onigiri (bai)
The rice balls, particularly the fukujinzuke ones (soy sauce pickles), go oh so well with the teriyaki chicken sold at the festival. For $5 you get a quarter of a chicken, either white or dark meat. I chose dark meat of course, a big juicy leg and thigh, but the white meat that Nancy picked also looked gleaming. Kenji-san went with 8 skewers of beef teriyaki for $8. We noshed while listening to the taiko drum performance. In the 110-degree heat, I tried not to stare at the kids swooshing their shaved ice, diverted my thoughts instead to the juniper and Japanese maple bonsai.
Mom is an avid believer against potted plants and caged birds, and I don’t even support cutting grass. But these miniature trees are undeniably works of art.
That said, if Mom and I were given one of these, first thing we do is removing the tree from the pot and digging it a nice warm hole in our front yard. 😉
This actually answered my problem, thank you!
1Good day! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be okay. I’m absolutely enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
2I admire your work, thankyou for all the good posts.
3What i do not understood is actually how you are no longer really a lot more neatly-preferred than you may be now. You’re very intelligent. You realize therefore considerably in the case of this matter, made me individually believe it from a lot of numerous angles. Its like men and women don’t seem to be interested unless it is something to do with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs outstanding. All the time maintain it up!
4I will immediately grab your rss feed as I can not find your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly let me know in order that I could subscribe. Thanks.
5What’s Going down i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It absolutely useful and it has helped me out loads. I am hoping to contribute & help different users like its aided me. Great job.
6Wow, wonderful weblog structure! How lengthy have you ever been running a blog for? you make blogging glance easy. The full glance of your web site is fantastic, let alone the content!
7I and my guys appeared to be viewing the good information found on your web page while instantly got an awful feeling I had not expressed respect to you for those tips. The guys appeared to be for this reason stimulated to learn all of them and already have certainly been loving those things. Many thanks for getting well kind and then for finding this kind of nice themes millions of individuals are really wanting to know about. My personal sincere apologies for not expressing gratitude to earlier.
8I’d constantly want to be update on new blog posts on this website , saved to favorites! .
9I’m impressed, I need to say. Actually hardly ever do I encounter a weblog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me let you know, you have got hit the nail on the head. Your thought is excellent; the problem is one thing that not sufficient persons are talking intelligently about. I’m very blissful that I stumbled across this in my seek for something relating to this.
10I’ve recently started a web site, the information you offer on this web site has helped me greatly. Thank you for all of your time & work.
11Really nice pattern and superb subject material, very little else we require :D.
12Its good as your other content : D, thankyou for putting up.
13Very interesting info !Perfect just what I was searching for! “Music is a higher revelation than philosophy.” by Ludwig van Beethoven.
14Have you ever considered publishing an ebook or guest authoring on other websites? I have a blog based on the same ideas you discuss and would love to have you share some stories/information. I know my audience would value your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to send me an email.
15Usually I do not learn post on blogs, however I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to check out and do it! Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thanks, very great post.
16Just wish to say your article is as amazing. The clearness on your put up is just spectacular and i can assume you’re knowledgeable on this subject. Fine together with your permission allow me to grasp your feed to stay up to date with coming near near post. Thank you 1,000,000 and please keep up the enjoyable work.
17I enjoy examining and I conceive this website got some really utilitarian stuff on it! .
18What i don’t realize is in fact how you’re no longer really a lot more well-favored than you may be now. You’re so intelligent. You know thus significantly in the case of this topic, produced me in my opinion imagine it from so many various angles. Its like men and women are not involved until it’s one thing to accomplish with Girl gaga! Your personal stuffs outstanding. Always handle it up!
19Hello, Neat post. There’s an issue together with your web site in web explorer, would check this?K IE still is the market chief and a big component to other folks will pass over your wonderful writing due to this problem.
20great points altogether, you simply received a new reader. What may you recommend about your post that you just made some days in the past? Any sure?
21Hey there I am so grateful I found your site, I really found you by mistake, while I was looking on Yahoo for something else, Anyways I am here now and would just like to say cheers for a fantastic post and a all round entertaining blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to look over it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the great work.
22Some times its a pain in the ass to read what website owners wrote but this internet site is real user friendly! .
23Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You clearly know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your blog when you could be giving us something enlightening to read?
24Undeniably believe that that you said. Your favorite reason seemed to be on the net the easiest thing to take note of. I say to you, I definitely get irked at the same time as other people consider issues that they plainly don’t understand about. You controlled to hit the nail upon the highest and also defined out the entire thing with no need side-effects , other people could take a signal. Will likely be back to get more. Thanks
25Sweet web site, super design, real clean and apply pleasant.
26syncswap is non custodial so you keep control of funds syncswap supported chains has the walkthrough.
27Some really nice stuff on this website , I love it.
28I’d must check with you here. Which isn’t something I normally do! I take pleasure in reading a post that will make individuals think. Also, thanks for permitting me to remark!
29Hey! Would you mind if I share your blog with my myspace group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your content. Please let me know. Many thanks
30I like the efforts you have put in this, thankyou for all the great content.
31Some genuinely nice stuff on this website , I like it.
32We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your site offered us with valuable information to work on. You have done an impressive job and our whole community will be thankful to you.
33Very interesting details you have mentioned, regards for posting.
34I enjoy you because of all of the work on this website. My mother take interest in working on investigations and it’s obvious why. A lot of people notice all about the compelling way you make invaluable strategies through this web site and as well as welcome participation from other individuals on that area of interest plus our own simple princess is without question discovering a whole lot. Take advantage of the remaining portion of the new year. You’re the one carrying out a good job.
35Greetings! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I really enjoy reading through your blog posts. Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same subjects? Thank you so much!
36i checked the broader staking context before comparing providers; lido market share 2026 helped me avoid guessing from outdated posts
37I’m not sure where you’re getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or understanding more. Thanks for wonderful information I was looking for this info for my mission.
38I’m really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to see a nice blog like this one nowadays..
39I’m not certain where you are getting your info, but great topic. I must spend a while studying much more or understanding more. Thanks for excellent info I used to be on the lookout for this information for my mission.
40Hello there! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this website? I’m getting sick and tired of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform. I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.
41I’m now not sure where you’re getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend a while studying more or understanding more. Thank you for great information I was looking for this info for my mission.
42I like this post, enjoyed this one regards for putting up. “The basis of optimism is sheer terror.” by Oscar Wilde.
43Today, I went to the beach with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!
44Scammers pose as support inside direct messages and pressure users into quick action. Verify the official contact channel first and treat any unsolicited help as suspicious. To fix this safely and without wasting gas or risking funds cross check the exact parameters in Official Docs review live network activity and cross chain congestion through Data Dashboard then refer to how to reach the AnySwap team for the precise recovery steps.
45Hi there are using WordPress for your site platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and create my own. Do you need any html coding knowledge to make your own blog? Any help would be really appreciated!
46This site is my inspiration , really wonderful pattern and perfect content material.
47Loving the information on this internet site, you have done outstanding job on the content.
48Users land on a cloned interface from a search ad and risk their wallet approvals. Polygon portal is the official bridge so verify the real url and contract before connecting a wallet. Once you understand the root cause of the issue read the reference in Technical Specs validate the figures and current status through Data Dashboard and see whether Polygon Portal is the official bridge for the complete walkthrough and what to verify first.
49I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back down the road. Cheers
50