Reflections on the 'Flower Melody' Event: A Moment to Savor Flowers and Words with All Five Senses
Yesterday's 'Flower Melody' was a time to once again feel the power of flowers and words.
The day began with greetings and some light stretching.
After loosening up our bodies a little, we used breathing techniques to relax our minds and bodies, setting the tone for the space.
As our breathing deepened, I felt the atmosphere of the room gradually soften.
However, one thing I am reflecting on from this time is the stretching before the breathing exercises.
The tempo was a bit too fast, and later, everyone frankly told me, 'That was fast, wasn't it?'
There was laughter in the room, but I reflected on it quite a bit.
I am sorry that I made you feel rushed during a time meant for relaxing your mind and body.
But being told that so honestly was also an important lesson for me.
Next time, I want to cherish a flow that allows you to relax and surrender yourselves even more slowly and securely.
After that, Midori-san spoke about flowers and the purpose of this gathering, and the time for reading aloud and improvised flower arranging finally began.
In the hands of Midori-san, a professional flower space coordinator, the flowers quickly turned into a beautiful bouquet.
It was truly like watching a magician, and I found myself completely captivated. The process itself was so beautiful that the flowers even seemed to look happy.
I was thoroughly impressed, as expected of a professional.
In this way, I layered words as if to accompany that one-time-only, beautiful moment of flowers being arranged right before our eyes.
This was a truly luxurious time that is rare to encounter. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Also, while Midori-san was talking about flowers, she brought many books with her.
She suddenly handed me one of the picture books and said, 'Please read this,' so I ended up reading it on the spot.
But thanks to my daily practice of reading aloud at first sight, I was able to read it calmly.
I thought that such unexpected turns of events are the unique joy of a live performance. That picture book was also very wonderful.
It was a picture book about flowers, gently describing each one, and it made me realize once again that picture books are truly wonderful things.
Midori-san seems to like violets, so the topic of violets also came up.
I think that the time spent not just arranging flowers, but savoring them through words, naturally expanded there as well.
This time, I structured the reading around the theme of spring and flowers. First, I started with haiku related to cherry blossoms, and then introduced several waka poems related to cherry blossoms from the Hyakunin Isshu.
Even though the names of the Hyakunin Isshu poems are well-known, I think there are surprisingly few opportunities to savor each poem carefully.
But if even one waka poem dedicated to the flowers comes to mind when you see cherry blossoms, I think those cherry blossoms will not just end as 'beautiful,' but will remain in your heart more deeply.
For example, Ono no Komachi's
'The color of the flowers has faded, in vain, while I spent my time in the world, gazing at the falling rain.'
is a waka poem.
This poem uses kakekotoba (pivot words), and the meanings of the words are layered upon each other. By knowing this, I realized once again that one can feel not only the splendor of cherry blossoms but also their transience and the sadness of the passage of time.
Seeing flowers and having words come to mind. Not just looking at them, but having a poem appear in your heart. I think that is a truly rich thing.
I have introduced the Hyakunin Isshu to people overseas before.
Even if one does not fully understand Japanese, there is something in the thoughts contained within them that can be empathized with across eras and countries.
The joy, sadness, and gaze toward beauty of people from the past reach the hearts of us living today. I have always felt that this is one of the charms of the Hyakunin Isshu.
I would be happy if I could convey even a little of that here.
After the cherry blossoms, I shifted my gaze to my feet, and this time to the world of dandelions. They are small, strong flowers that bloom in the fields, different from the glamorous cherry blossoms.
Misuzu Kaneko turned her gentle gaze toward such small flowers at her feet and wrote poems about them.
And Shinmin Sakamura also deeply loved the strength and preciousness of dandelions and wrote poems about them on various occasions.
I was moved by the story that even when he was suffering from illness and hovering between life and death, he was encouraged and given courage by the sight of dandelions.
I had everyone savor that world while introducing the fact that he loved dandelions so much that he named his home 'Tanpopo-do' (Dandelion Hall).
Furthermore, this time I also read from the English book 'Flower Fairies' in English, connecting the journey of words dedicated to flowers from Japan to England, and from the classics to the modern day.
And finally, I concluded with a poem by Misuzu Kaneko that once again contained thoughts dedicated to flowers.
Midori-san brought many spring flowers to the venue, and it was overflowing with colorful blossoms.
We savored their beauty with our eyes, inhaled their fragrance deep into our chests, touched the leaves and flowers, and let the resonance of words—the spirit of language and the spirit of sound—gently reach our ears.
Knowing the names of flowers and knowing the words associated with them.
I felt once again that just by doing that, the way we see flowers and the movements of our hearts change significantly.
It was truly an elegant and rich moment to savor flowers with all five senses.
Also, this time, I brought and displayed a sumi-e ink painting of flowers that I had drawn, which depicted a Kannon statue reflected in front of a flower garden surrounded by blossoms.
In the space wrapped in flowers, I felt as if that painting was also gently snuggling up to us. I was happy that we were able to take a picture with everyone, including the painting, at the end.
Actually, I had hoped to perform a calligraphy demonstration at the end, but due to time constraints, that was not possible.
Instead, I presented everyone with a piece of calligraphy that read, 'Flower Melody.'
It was a small gift, but I would be very happy if you could take home even a little bit of the lingering memory of this day.
And there is something that made me very happy this time.
Among the participants, there were people who love Shinmin Sakamura and Misuzu Kaneko and came to listen to this meeting.
That person is in a choir and taught me that Shinmin Sakamura's 'Because It Is a Life That Will Not Happen Twice' and Misuzu Kaneko's poems are actually sung as choral pieces.
Hearing that made me very happy.
Poetry is not just something to be read, but it becomes a song like this, carried by voices, and reaches the hearts of many people.
Learning that again, I deeply felt the breadth of the power that words possess.
The recited poem is now passed from person to person as a song.
That is truly a wonderful thing, and being able to hear such stories during this meeting has become one of my unforgettable joys.
And after the event, Midori-san said to me, 'Let's do it together again. Next time, let's do it in Tokyo.'
I was so happy about that, and I hope that someday we can share a time like this where flowers and reading come together in Tokyo as well.
Flowers are beings that heal, encourage, inspire, and enrich our hearts.
And I believe that by knowing the words, those flowers reach our hearts even more deeply.
Looking at flowers, savoring words, and connecting the hearts of people from the past with our own hearts today.
I am very grateful to have been able to share such a rich time with all of you.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to everyone who participated despite the short notice, the owner of the book cafe, Yahakei-san, who lent us this space, the organizer Midori-san who invited me, and Toyoko Shimoma-sensei, who is also a reading teacher and connected us, as well as the 'Mimi-Biji' that she organizes.
Furthermore, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mitsuhiro Masuda-sensei, the godfather of Midorie, who gave me the opportunity to meet Midori-san.
If I hadn't participated in Masuda-sensei's cleaning camp in Yatsugatake, a collaborative seminar like this might not have been realized.
When I think about that, I feel that connections are truly mysterious and precious.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who was involved this time. Thank you very much.
And finally, one announcement.
Midori-san will be holding a collaborative seminar with Ryuya Saito tomorrow.
Ryuya-san is someone who has worked on numerous bestsellers at Sunmark Publishing for 30 years, including Kazuo Inamori's 'A Compass to Fulfillment.' The number of copies is a staggering 18 million worldwide!!
He has also edited many of Shinmin Sakamura's books and has been a person who has deeply supported the world of Sakamura's words.
I encountered Shinmin Sakamura's poetry through Ryuya-san's reading, and from there, I became a fan of Sakamura-san. He is a very attractive and wonderful person.
I think it is a rare and valuable opportunity for Ryuya-san to hold such a meeting in Kansai. If you are available, please come and visit.
Date: April 4, 2026 (Sat) 14:00 - 16:00
Venue: Haru no Uta Cafe @2020harunouta
Kasuga Mansion 103, 3-6 Kasuga-cho, Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, 3-minute walk from Hanshin Electric Railway Uchide Station
Participation fee: 3,500 yen, includes a gift of a Shinmin Sakamura poetry collection
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSfA9UcudKlLhx.../viewform