Ikebana International 13th World Convention
Report of Working Lunch Discussions
April 26, 2025 at Prince Hall, Prince Kyoto Takaragaike

Fruitful discussions were made over a lunch among participants from various countries and regions. The following is the reports from table leaders. Leaders have chosen two or three topics from 7 topics submitted by members and Business Committee of the Convention.

1. How to increase membership
*Organize promotion programs such as demonstrations, exhibitions and workshops for beginners.
*Organize events accessible to those who are working during the day by holding meetings in different times or virtually.
*Virtual exhibitions and/or demonstrations open to the public.
*Set up a booth at the local garden show or shopping malls for visitors to learn ikebana arrangement with a little charge of material to recruit new members.
*Set up a children’s corner at ikebana shows, school activities. Teach children to make a simple ikebana arrangement for free to attract their interest in ikebana.
*Organize next generation projects on programs for children.
*Reach out to schools to interests children.
*Encourage old members to visit the school of their own children/grandchildren and give ikebana demonstrations or distribute flyers in order to spread ikebana.
*Start teaching to our children/grandchildren.
*Organize seminars/demonstrations at libraries, gardens or schools, outreach to community to show what is ikebana and how to learn.
*Invite visitors and make a simple arrangement at exhibitions.
*Hold more regular demonstrations, workshops for the public to sustain interest.
*Make ikebana more visible.
*Publicize I.I. using flyers and/or postcards
*Publicize regularly our ikebana activities so that we can recruit young members.
*Introduce the I.I. through videos of demonstrations. Offer zoom link for potential members.
*I.I. must have a 5 min. video made by HQ in which all history and techniques should be included with young presenter and “anime”.
*Workshops just for new students can be less intimidating. A meeting including a meal and drink is attractive.
*Ikebana teachers get new students and invite them to I.I.
*Have mentors for new members.
*Make programs more interesting by virtual demonstrations and programs. People can join the program at home and from across the world. Have programs twice to suit a different time zone.
*Barriers to enter the I.I. are usually money, place, time and the access to sensei(s) as well as diversity in both the membership and the types of arrangements (schools).
It is necessary that experienced members or elderly members encourage younger people to enter the I.I.
*Set an introductory membership fee of very less amount in the beginning. Then after a year, charge a normal membership fee. Some people join I.I. as an associate at an exhibition cite, then one year later, move to a regular member.
*Have more studies on how ikebana is good for mental health.
*Start ikebana lessons in colleges by a Jesuit priest in church showing the sacred history and ikebana. (Manila Chapter #108).
*Meetings are open to overseas students. (Kyoto Chapter #175)
*Cooperation/understanding of family is important.
*Men are joining lately. Those who are interested in Japanese culture and Instagrams are coming in. (Washington Chapter #1)
*Ikebana was recognized as an intangible cultural property. Ikebana should be taught in schools as one of the curriculums.
*Introduce ikebana on “Ikebana Day”.

2. Programs
(1) Ideas of creating interesting and informative program
*Have meetings at weekend because people have to work during the day and very hard to attend meetings.
*Ikebana classes for very young children plus parents so they can learn together. (For example, for Mother’s Day)
*Organize workshop for children and foreign students (living in Japan)
*Organize attractive events other than ikebana; museum visit, outing, garden tour.
*Include cultural program.
*Organize an overnight trip or one-day trip, trekking, nature walk.
*Organize a special event at New Years Day, festivals, birthday of members with present. Give a prize for perfect attendance.
*Use materials of their own cultural background, modern and local flowers to create arrangements. Use everyday items as a container.
*Add different arts from Japan, such as Origami.
*I.I. HQ should explain more about all the different ikebana schools because not all people know other styles.
*To understand the philosophy of ikebana is very important.
*Approach/introduce ikebana through the angles of nature, Japanese culture and as an art form using zoom, Facebook and other media.
*Have a virtual exhibition on a same topic or theme. This could connect the member globally.
(2) Finding a venue for meeting
*Meet at members’ homes.
*Display ikebana at Japanese gardens, botanical gardens, a pottery studio, an art gallery, a library and a shopping mall.
*Offer ikebana arrangements for gallery opening.
*Approach to Japanese companies. Display arrangement in their entrance lobby.
*Churches.
*Open the HQs office to the public/members on holidays and evenings to hold ikebana classes and events.
*Ask cooperation of embassies, consulate, Japan Foundation.
*University, community college
Romania University agreed to support Chapter (Bucharest Chapter #269) to hold an exhibition in the university. The university will help to advertise for exhibitions.
(3) Collaboration with other cultural groups, other chapters
*Collaborate with other chapter to hold demonstrations or workshops. HQ should help introducing chapters to others.
*The cooperation between chapters is necessary for exhibitions, hands-on activities.
*Collaboration with garden clubs, bonsai society, preservation societies (old town, traditional crafts, etc.), horticultural association, Asian American society.
*Collaboration with “anime” attracted lots of people (Chicago Chapter #27)
*Asked cosplay club to join the meeting. Many young people joined the Ikebana demonstrations. (Basel Chapter #227)
*Link ikebana with other art form such as: painting, Chinese characters, poems, Haiku and music.
*Ikebana at concert hall.
*Art & Bloom – a country wide program (in USA) which has floral arrangement correlating with art works hung on the walls, etc., with garden clubs.
*Ikebana exhibition in museum, complimenting the antiquities, art works from Asia, etc., making these installations to broaden the world of ikebana to the public.
*Invite artists of various genres and hold workshops.
(4) Classes
*How can we offer free classes/kenzans/containers? How do we determine a good and fair price for own services as teachers?
*Drop-in classes can be more affordable but the courses are more likely to help students become part of the community.
*Classes where students can bring their own flowers and pay extra to have flowers teacher provide gives students more flexibility.
(5) Materials for ikebana
*It is difficult to find branch materials. Went to a mountain for hiking to find branches. Or ask friends in botanical garden to ask for materials.
*Containers are expensive in the USA. Use secondhand containers or own made containers.
*Teachers should try to teach ikebana using flowers sold at grocery store or materials from their own garden. Younger generation does not like to spend a lot of money on expensive floral materials.
(6) problems
*Some members are not actively involved. Members do not want to serve in leadership roles.
*Participation fee of a meeting is high.
*There are not enough active ikebana teachers.

3. Outside activities
*Ikebana classes in community colleges, retirement homes.
*Using ikebana as mental health, we should offer classes as part of rehabilitation centers.
*Hospitals (cancer center) they need ikebana for peace and lessons are good for patients. Share ikebana with sick people at hospices or medical facilities.
*Japan Day with food organized by embassies/consulate. When the Japanese Government is involved, it makes the events more legitimate.
*Join the cultural events connected to Japanese Embassy/Austria – Japan Society, organized twice a year, which are very popular. (Vienna Chapter #223)
*Join international festivals, state fairs, state/city cultural days, tulip festival.
*Organize an exhibition/workshop at schools at a special day, New Year, girls’ day, etc.
*Exhibit ikebana at orchid show/flower show.
*Collaboration with flower shops and/or market.

4. Fundraising
*Have connection with Japanese companies to fund I.I.
*Approach to big companies for sponsorship. Offer live ikebana demonstrations at their events/activities and/or volunteering to teach ikebana to their employees.
*Handicrafts sale, bazar, raffles.
*Selling raffles tickets. Organize a Christmas fair, annual fair. Offer various vendors a booth to sell products and collect 20% from proceeds of the sale. (Tokyo Founding Chapter)
*Consult the management of a chapter with specialists.
*Try Cloud Funding.
*Ask support from Ministry of Culture.

5. Communication
(1) Send Newsletter every month. Make slide shows of events and cultural program on YouTube channel. (San Diego Chapter #119)
(2) Social media
*It is helpful to have official accounts to follow up smaller study groups on social media.
*HQ has to have different mode of media communication, such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Line, YouTube, etc.
*More active use of YouTube. If there is an income from YouTube, use it to improve the IT environment.
*QR code instead of paper brochures.
*Collaboration with the “influencers” to promote ikebana and I.I.
*Using too many different tools of communication is a problem.
*Some members want printed newsletter rather than digital info.
*Older people may not get used to electronic communication.
*Not all the members has an access to the Internet.
(3) Website
*It is important to make HQs Website more active and simpler.
*Virtual can save funds on magazine publication, postage and many administrative costs.
*Have younger staff to design the website.
*Weak dissemination of information on website of HQ. Ask HQ to provide more information about chapters and Headquarters.
*There are limited communication channels between members and HQ. HQ should use social media more effectively to communicate with members.
*Need more information about chapter activities.
*Need to update the style and format of HQs website. The style is the same for many years.
*Please update the HQs website. It is very unfriendly navigating.
*It is important to post good quality info and picture, upcoming events.
*Tokyo Founding Chapter has a nice website. Members of all over the world can check it and see what’s on.
(4) Template, Branding
*HQ should give members (chapters) template to be used for Facebook/Instagram.
*Need a guideline to have the same logo and branding.

6. Creating a virtual chapter to help individual members who do not belong to a chapter stay better connected with other members.
(1) Advantages:
*The number of members may increase; individual members retain membership. *Younger generation who has IT skills can enjoy this option.
*Virtual chapter can help members who live too far from an I.I. chapter enjoy zoom demonstrations and live workshop.
*Recent young people connect virtually.
*Let young people have chances to participate in the virtual ikebana classes or ikebana exhibitions as an associate member.
*Teachers can record their lessons. It is possible to ask teachers who live different places to give lessons virtually.
(2) Problem
*Technical Problem
*A virtual chapter can be subdivided to region and members pay a lower fee for the virtual membership.
*The number of members may decrease in local chapters.
*Who organizes virtual chapters? Problem of operating funds.
*Need clear guidelines to get I.I. chapter status.
*What language will be used for the chapter? (use English as a common language?) Multiple languages are spoken by members in Europe.
*Virtual chapter should set its own membership fee.
*It is a good option but nothing like face-to-face meetings. Having a real program is better.
*Real human relationship, real touch of plants are important for us. A video screen shows only limited face of members. The idea of a virtual chapter should be considered as a supplement to real chapters.

7. Environment
*Join projects, i.e. protecting forest, supporting flower producers.
*Tree planting, green projects and provide continuous support, funding and follow-up.
*Stop the use of plastic bags. Garbage segregation.
*Encourage to recycle floral materials.
*Teach people how to use the entirety of plant materials, throw nothing away.
*Go to elementary schools to teach children how to recycle and not to waste.
*Branches are important. We do not damage trees.
*Re-create a design and give it to promote ikebana to others, such as shopping mall, hospital or any interesting place to decorate ikebana.
*We need to consider who (in the USA it is mostly immigrants) is growing materials.
– Are they being paid well?
– Are they using products that are harmful for the environment?
– Are they far away or close by? How is transportation of those materials effecting climate change?
*Many cities have gardeners and tree clearing crews. As it can be hard to get branches, we should partner with local governments to use the branches they trimmed as ikebana materials so that they are not simply thrown away.
*After storms we should go out and collect fallen branches or clean up public lands together.
*We could have foraging workshops to learn how to safely and sustainably collect materials and to learn local laws about collecting materials on public places.
*Near places where there is access to driftwood or fallen trees, we should work together to harvest materials in a way that is helpful to protect the land and ensure locals can enjoy nature.
*The chapter (Sogetsu West) holds an exhibition using branches, roots in a park after trimming season in the Showa Memorial Park.

8. Discussions on other topics:
Role of Ikebana International
*To connect different ikebana schools and groups.
Magazine
*With rich interesting contents related to Ikebana and different schools.
Other Problems:
*2/3 members cannot use the Internet and a chapter (Kyoto) send information by postal mail. Some chapters collect \1,000 per year from members for the postal fee.
Regional Conference
Not enough men power. In Europe, a collaboration of all chapters would be necessary to organize a regional conference.

9. Questions/requests to HQ
*Does HQ allow chapters to have their own logo?
*HQ should understand the diversity of members’ background, different customs and culture.
*Embracing different opinions, ideas and thoughts is not enough.
*Introduce more Japanese culture during the event (world convention) so that people get more interested.
*Can online Sakura news include color photos?
*Please circulate the list of individual members so that nearby chapters can reach out to them.
*Sakura News should be open to the public.
*HQ could support chapters i.e. posting interesting programs on the website for a longer period of time so that people across the world find time to watch them and get interested.

May 2025
Compiled by the Business Committee Chairperson
Nobuko Sakata