That time I got to create in Japan…

Japan, where do I start? Japan was possibly one of the coolest countries I have ever been to. This wasn't all work and no play; we travelled here as a family. Utter chaos—but good chaos nonetheless. We got up early, adventured, ATE all the things, adventured more, ate again, and passed out, just to do it all again the next day.

Whilst this was a family holiday, I most definitely had my eye on ticking off the MANY things Japan had to offer for a floral designer. The beautiful nature and scenery, the flowers, the florist shops, the way of creating, and of course, the artisanal crafts that were the cherry on top of the cake. It is a florist's dreamland.

We timed this holiday perfectly for cherry blossom season—not without a lot of work to get us here, though. I created a wedding a day before we flew out and went back to the market the day after we got back. It was a lot. I was absolutely exhausted, but it was all worth it once we got there and saw the blossom in full bloom. The cherry blossoms flower at different times throughout the season of Hanami, meaning we had to plan our travels around the blooming times as this can change within a matter of days. We struck pure luck and managed to nail the blooming times. We did a lot of research beforehand, of course, and many conversations with a florist friend Vintage Bloom who is a Japanese florist, brought further peace of mind to the process.

The best part? Seeing my boys witness this beauty. They had been so excited for the flowers from the moment we booked this trip, and to see how much they loved them made this florist mum so proud.

So, I know you're all here to read about the florist-related content, so let's get into it. I had two major highlights of the trip. The first was attending an Ikebana class at the Sogetsu Institute of Ikebana with a real-life Ikebana master. I haven't spoken much about this on socials, so I really can't wait to tell you more. The second highlight (and so much fun) was working in a Japanese florist shop for the day with Koari from Vein Floral. This was an experience I will never forget.

You might be wondering how this came about. Every country I travel to, I try to experience something floral-related. Whether it be a market visit, creating designs in that country, or just visiting every floral shop possible, I make it happen. It's so eye-opening, creates beautiful connections with locals, and gives me the knowledge that if I ever get asked to create in that country, I am prepared and ready to go! So, for Japan, I wanted to do something I had never done before: work in a florist shop for the day. I don't speak Japanese, so this was a little wild. Using the power of social media, I put out a call for recommendations on florists to visit. I was so lucky to have a list sent to me to consider contacting. After doing some research, I found that most weren’t so aligned with my style, but Vein couldn’t have been more "me."

I began my day with a cuddle goodbye to the boys as they went off to enjoy their day, then walked to the train station to begin my 1.5-hour journey to Koari's shop. It was a bit nerve-wracking as using the GPS absolutely drained my battery—the battery I needed for Google Translate and to get home. What if I got there and we couldn’t communicate at all?! Well, it turns out that wasn’t my biggest worry. When I got there, my camera didn’t work due to my husband's fantastic ability to change all the settings with just one use. My heart began to race as this kind Japanese girl stood there while I tried everything to fix the camera and get our day back on track. After 10 minutes of panic, I managed to sort it out, and on we went with our day.

We started with a coffee from the local coffee shop and then fumbled our way through trying to communicate solely with a translator app. Thankfully, before we met, we discussed what we’d both like to get out of this day and agreed on this: we wanted to each teach the other a skill we had that the other didn’t, shoot some content, and just hang out. And that’s exactly what we did. We got to know each other, flowered together, and had the most wholesome florist day. I began by creating a bouquet with Koari’s shop flowers, and then she wrapped them. We then took some photos out the front of her cute (and very tiny) shop. After this, it was my turn. I wanted to show her how I create our foam-free style designs. We created one together, side by side.

A few things I learnt: their wire mesh is linked like a chain, not woven together in one continuous piece like ours. It made it tricky to keep shape and form. I guess that’s why they use their Kenzan flower frogs so much instead!

Once we finished flowering, we sipped our coffees, ate cake, and then I went on my merry way, feeling SO delighted to have had that experience.

Want to see more? Watch our “Day in a Japanese Floral Shop” Video.

The next big ticket experience: the Ikebana class. This was held at the Sogetsu Institute of Ikebana. They hold regular weekly Ikebana classes on Mondays that you can attend as a foreigner, and this is what I signed up for.

We all sat down side by side with our tools laid out for us and our two flower elements: scissors, a full and half-moon Kenzan, and a bowl of water. The first difference I noticed was that they don’t use putty to stick down their Kenzan—they weigh it down with another. Their designs aren’t meant to withstand transportation like ours for weddings; they are designed to be built slowly, with intention, on-site where they stay to be admired.

You might be wondering, why the bowl of water? As a florist with many tricks up her sleeve, I knew exactly what this was for but didn’t know it was a strict rule of Ikebana. The water is for cutting the stem underwater to prevent closing the pores, ensuring the stem can drink water and giving it a longer vase life. Ikebana is a slow, intentional process, and this really highlighted that.

As we created, we took reference from the supplied information leaflet and guidance from the teachers. Ahead of us were the regular class attendees creating more complex designs and different styles of Ikebana arrangements.

Following the class, the Ikebana master created her own design using the principles of Ikebana. If I’m honest, I wouldn’t create this way; however, after learning more, it made sense.

As someone who has studied fine art and floristry extensively, this style just makes sense to me. I felt so at ease in this classroom, and it highlighted that, albeit I can be quite particular and sometimes strict when demonstrating and teaching to my staff, there’s merit to these methods, and they date back in history.

Japan reminded me of why I love what I do—how flowers and floral design connect us across languages, cultures, and continents. It reignited my creativity, gave me new skills to bring back home, and left me with memories I’ll cherish forever.

If you’re ever considering a floral adventure, let me tell you—pack your bags, grab your tools, and immerse yourself. The world has so much to teach us if we’re willing to step out of our comfort zones.