What if arranging flowers could help people living with dementia reconnect with memories, make choices and express themselves?
In Japan, ikebana – the centuries-old art of arranging flowers – has become an unexpected way of supporting people living with dementia.
This August, that approach will be trialled outside Japan for the very first time at Abbotsford Convent, when members of the Japan Ikebana Therapy Association travel to Melbourne for the Melbourne Ikebana Festival.
On Friday 28 August, the association will lead a free workshop for people living with dementia and their carers, exploring how the mindful practice of ikebana can encourage focus and creativity.
The arrangements created during the session will become part of a public installation presented throughout the festival weekend (29–30 August), alongside floral works by ikebana artists ranging from beginners to masters.
For the association, the Melbourne workshop is an opportunity to answer an important question.
Until now, their work has been conducted with Japanese participants, many of whom grew up with some familiarity with ikebana. Australia offers a different context, where participants are less likely to have encountered the practice before. The workshop will explore whether ikebana’s therapeutic benefits extend beyond cultural familiarity.
Dr Eiko Hamasaki, the founder of ikebana therapy, says that Ikebana Therapy can support people with dementia in many ways.
“Flowers engage the senses, can evoke memories, and offer opportunities for choice and self-expression. Even the familiar tools and actions of ikebana can help bring out abilities that might otherwise be dormant,” says Dr Hamasaki.
But simply giving someone flowers to arrange is not Ikebana Therapy.
“How we introduce the flowers, the questions we ask, how we use tools, how we respond to the person’s choices, and even how we look at and talk about the finished arrangement can make a significant difference.”
For Melbourne Ikebana Festival founder Shoso Shimbo, the workshop reflects a broader vision for the festival. He wants to demonstrate that ikebana is far more than a historical Japanese tradition.
“Ironically, I only began practising ikebana after moving to Australia,” says Shimbo.
“When I first came here, people would ask me about Japanese culture and traditions, and I realised I couldn’t really answer. I knew very little myself. Learning ikebana became my way of reconnecting with Japan.”
More than thirty years later, Shimbo hopes the festival will reveal the many ways ikebana continues to evolve.
“Many people think of ikebana as something historical,” he says. “We want to show that it can also be contemporary.”
The festival explores ikebana as an art form and a mindful practice, while welcoming newcomers through workshops for children, beginners and even a dedicated men’s session.
“About 95 per cent of ikebana practitioners in Japan are women,” says Shimbo. “We wanted to create a space where men could feel comfortable trying it.”
Held annually at the Abbotsford Convent for the past decade, the festival’s emphasis on community, creativity and the natural environment makes it a fitting home for this year’s Australian debut of ikebana therapy.