``Misho-ryu Sasaoka'' was founded in 1919 (Taisho 8) and is known for devising a new type of ``Morika'' using Western flowers. The current headmaster, Ryuho Sasaoka, is attracting attention for his activities in a wide range of fields, including not only traditional flower arranging expressions, but also collaborations with other genres such as musicals and Kyogen. Mr. Sasaoka, who lives in Kyoto, talks about the monthly flowers and Kyoto's special features for each month in his series ``Monthly Flowers, Monthly Kyo.'' In August, water lilies and Gozan Okuribi are celebrated.

Water lilies paying homage to Monet's works

Near the entrance to the Kyoto Botanical Garden, there is an art museum designed by Tadao Ando called the Kyoto Prefectural Ceramic Board Masterpiece Garden. It is a facility that exhibits well-known famous paintings on ceramic plates. Monet's ``Water Lilies'' are placed in the pond, and when viewed through the shimmering surface of the water, it has a special atmosphere. (The light blue line extending from the right to the upper left of the photo is Monet's ceramic plate placed below the water surface.) This pond was likened to a basin, and water lilies were arranged as a homage to Monet. Water lilies bloom floating on the water surface. If you were to arrange water lilies in their natural appearance in this vast basin, they would end up looking flat, so we tried to create depth overall by keeping them away from the water surface and not arranging the flowers in a straight line. Did. Furthermore, the shimafu toy was bent at an acute angle to create a three-dimensional effect. I arranged this water lily on a morning at the end of July for a series in the Asahi Shimbun. As early as 7am, the temperature was already over 9 degrees, and we were working under the scorching sun. I went into the pond in rain boots and was drenched in sweat while arranging flowers, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Water lilies and lotuses are often confused, but while water lilies bloom floating on the surface of the water, lotuses rise above the surface of the water and bloom high up. Unlike water lily leaves, which are shiny and have notches, lotus leaves are round and lack luster. Water lilies are used as ikebana in ``combined leaves,'' which are a combination of two leaves with their notches facing each other with a single flower in between, and a single leaf with the stem left floating on the surface of the water, making it look like the leaves are walking on the surface of the water. It is composed of "flowing leaves" that appear to be floating.

The photo shows water lilies blooming at Kajuji Temple in Yamashina. Kanshu-ji Temple is said to have been built by Emperor Daigo, and is a historic temple close to the Imperial Family and the Fujiwara clan. Inside the temple grounds, there is a pond garden centered around a pond called Himuro Pond, where you can enjoy seasonal flowers such as water lilies in summer, Kakitsubata, and irises.

After the Gion Festival in July, the sweltering heat continues in Kyoto, where Gozan Okuribi is held on August 7th. The roof of the old practice hall, where you can clearly see Daimonji, Myoho, Funagata, and Hidadaimonji, is a unique viewing area. It is customary for family members and relatives to gather together and watch the fires being lit one after another.

This happened when Kirin Kiki was still alive. We built a special studio on the rooftop of Kyoto Prefectural Rakuhoku High School for NHK's Okuribi broadcast where Kiki appeared, and in order to create a Kyoto-like performance, we decided to create a pond around the stage and place water lilies there. became.

Water lilies normally bloom in the morning and close in the evening. The bonfire will be lit at 8 p.m. We prepared a large quantity of water lilies, and arranged the flowers that barely bloomed until nightfall for the actual event. However, during the actual performance, it was pouring rain. (In the first place, the Gozan Okuribi festival is often affected by showers depending on the season.) After arranging the flowers in the special studio, we moved to the NHK Kyoto Broadcasting Station, which was a satellite studio, and performed an ikebana performance. Therefore, I stayed indoors where there is no rain. Mr. Kiki, who was in the rain so heavy that he couldn't even hear the announcer next to him, was asked about his impressions of the ikebana performance, and answered with a serious face, ``Sasaoka-san, it's great, I didn't get wet in the rain.'' So, the customers of the satellite studio were very happy. As Gozan Okuribi approaches, I sometimes think about that night.

The photo shows the torii gate seen from Hirosawa Pond. On August 8th, a lantern ceremony is held, and the sight of okuribi floating in the background of the five-colored lanterns floating in the air is very magical.

After the Gozan Okuribi festival, the following week is Jizo-bon. Once that is over, summer will be coming to an end, and the mornings and evenings will become noticeably cooler. Autumn is just around the corner.