Kobe Chapter #181 Japan

1/16/2026
Demonstration
The 2026 New Year’s Gathering was held at the Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers on January 16th. It is also an annual memorial meeting to remember and pray on the 31st anniversary of the earthquake in Kobe. We welcomed Sōgetsu School Master Council Director, Ms. Chisei Iwamoto, for the demonstration. The theme was “Feeling Today, January 16th.”
The first arrangement combined narcissus with New Year’s pine, creating a playful piece with explanations of leaf arrangement techniques.
The second was a thrown-in style: gathering narcissus, twisting and spreading them, then inserting a stick. New Year’s pine was placed beside it.
The third featured nandina berries atop a large pine branch, with nandina floating on the water surface and anthurium at the base. The acrylic container was very innovative.
The fourth piece involved arranging camellias in a camellia-shaped vase. We snapped and rolled Japanese wax tree branches to use as a kenzan substitute, then inserted the camellias. A piece brimming with playfulness.
The fifth piece featured a Nankinhaze tree bearing fruit, wrapped with wisteria vines. Two branches were inserted into the vessel, representing spring budding with valleycrossing greenery, and Nankinhaze was placed on the vines. A piece I want to try immediately upon returning home.
The sixth piece features a weeping mulberry branch with a winter melon harvested in summer. Around it, ferns are arranged—moistened, rolled into balls, and dried—with sweet peas decorating the spaces between. It’s full of ideas and fascinating.
The seventh and final piece was a large work, typical of Sogetsu, using bamboo. First, she showed us how to split a 4-meter bamboo stalk into eight sections. Using a bamboo-splitting tool and four assistants, eight slender bamboo pieces were created in no time. Ten of these were shaped into circles, then into ovals with fishing line, arranged vertically. Cherry blossoms and Japanese apricot were placed between them, with two-toned stock at the base. The finished bamboo-splitting piece was beautiful even swaying in the breeze. It would be perfect for a hotel entrance.
Ms. Iwamoto’s clear and efficient explanations were easy to understand. Each piece showed ingenuity and a playful spirit, making for a delightful New Year’s gathering. Once again, I would like to thank Ms. Chisei Iwamoto.