Why not enjoy flowers in your daily life by choosing vases that suit your taste? Vases highlight the charms of flowers and accentuate interiors. They can also add color to a space like pieces of art.
Doing so will likely make not only the atmosphere of a room brighter, but also lift people's mood.
Masaki Takei, 43, a company executive in Tokyo, and his wife, Jitsuko, 43, use flower vases with unique shapes like tubes.
They were made using the techniques of Hasamiyaki, a traditional pottery production method from Nagasaki Prefecture.
The vases are made by a brand called ha. The brand was jointly established by Sebastian Bergne, a product designer based in London, and Tokyo Saikai Co., which sells tableware made in Japan.
Masaki said: "We are determined to limit the furniture in our rooms to the minimum necessary number of modern items. These flower vases have the atmosphere of sculptures and make flowers look more beautiful."
On the day I visited, Masaki and Jitsuko had put orange and green gerbera blooms in the vases. Because the vases have two openings, flowers and other plants can be combined, or they can hold stationery goods and accessories.
The couple also likes that they satisfy their playfulness.
A cooking instructor in Tokyo said that when she decorates a room with flowers, she tries out the blooms in about a dozen different vases one by one before choosing the one that best highlights the flowers' characteristics. "The colors and sizes of vases change the atmosphere greatly. Sometimes, they create combinations beyond my imagination," she said.
Mikako Ichimura, who describes herself as a flower designer, said, "With a single vase that makes a strong impression, you feel the enjoyment of arranging flowers."
People who arrange flowers for the first time tend to choose simple vases without impressive characteristics. But this choice makes the task rather difficult.
For beginners in particular, Ichimura recommends choosing vases with unique features.
An exhibition of Ichimura's collection of vases was held in Tokyo in January, and more than 150 items were displayed.
They included British and French water pitchers, vases made of colorful glass, Japanese pottery and a type of vase that hangs on the wall. Ichimura has been building her vase collection with items found at antique markets and other places.
At exhibitions she has held, visitors can try putting different blooms into vases, like trying on clothes. They can also buy the vases they like.
"If vases have distinct characteristics in their shapes and colors, just lining them up is fun. Even with a small number of flowers, a good balance can be created," Ichimura said.
She said vases that are about 15 centimeters high are easy to use at home.
A woman who visited Ichimura's exhibition said, "It's a gorgeous way to spend time, arranging flowers in my favorite vases."
Using distinctive vases to display flowers seems to create time in which we can relax.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
