Taking on “Hana-Iku” (Education through Flower Growing)
Floral Design Course: Nakashima Sayaka(Instructor: Yoshida Kumiko)
1. Introduction“Hana-Iku” means to nurture a sense of gentleness and beauty through familiarizing
ourselves with flowers, greenery, and the opportunity to cultivate them. In recent years,
this concept, along with food education, has been advocated as part of emotional education
via plants, and with the hope of rebuilding the local communities and passing on theJapanese floral culture according to the four seasons.
I have long felt that flowers and greenery have a great effect on people, and I havebecome interested in “Hana-Iku.” In the future, I am hoping to be involved in the spreadingof “Hana-Iku” activities as a “Hana-Iku” specialist; that is the reason why during my student
life I have actively participated in workshops as an assistant. Based on this experience, I
made it the final objective of this graduation research to plan and manage a workshop.
2. Activity Report as Assistant
The following reports on past assistant activities are summarized with three points, (1)participants, (2) course contents, and (3) learnings and findings, and are used as areference for workshop planning and management.
Open Campus

Green School

Lifetime LearningCourses① Senior high school students①Second-year high school①Parents and children of

and general publicstudents within the prefectureelementary school age and②Masu (square wooden box)

②Topiary bouquets

youngerarrangement③Accurate advice is possible②Christmas wreaths③"One article of praise andby making prototypes in③The imagination of children

one piece of advice"advance.

Is limitless and fascinating.

Lectures on Flowers andHorticultural Therapy

GreeneryLet's Decorate My Schoolwith the Flowers of Gifu

① Senior High School Student①Day care users①Elementary school students②Assisted bouquets②Arrangement, mixed planting,②Arrangement

Fragrance arrangement

color sand art③Choosing the right words for③There is a link between③Due to possible difficulty

the target audience helps tofragrance and memories.

using hands, may needconvey the message.

assistance holding containers,etc.

3. Workshop Planning and Operation
Workshops were planned and operated under the theme of “Let's Make SomethingThat’s A One and Only in All the World.”(1) Courses for Preschool Children【Participants】26 older children from Mino Nursery
School【Venue】Mino Nursery School Childcare Support
Building【Course Contents】Photo frame with test tubes【Participation fee】Free of charge【Material fee】9,680 Yen【Learnings and Findings】
・I was concerned about whether they would be able to keep concentrated, but they wereabsorbed in their work with a serious look in their eyes.
・The participants showed more interest in the materials than expected.
・Although the production speed varied from person to person, they were able to work
understanding the explanations.
・Although I was concerned that they might fight over choosing yarns, I was impressedby the way they decided by conceding to each other.
・I was inspired by the differences in each work even though they were made from thesame materials.
(2) Courses for Parents and/or Guardians【Participants】10 individuals from Mino Nursery
School【Venue】 Mino Nursery School Childcare Support
Building【Course Content】 Photo frame with test tubes【Participation Fee】2,000Yen×10 individuals ＝20,000Yen【Purchasing Fee】6,230 Yen (excluding on-campus procurement)【Expenses for Reference】14,580 Yen (including on-campus procurement)【Learnings and Findings】
・The fragrant cinnamon and star anise were well received.
・Some participants designed the products to be displayed for all seasons as well as
for Christmas.
・We were able to secure a lot of time for production because we simplified the work
process.
・The only rule was to always attach a test tube to the same base, and therefore, as
per the theme, they were able to create a work that is a "one and only" in all theworld.4. Learning through Graduation Research
In order to deepen my understanding of “Hana-Iku,” I have actively participated inworkshops as an assistant during my student life. When I first started participating inworkshops hosted by the school, it took me a lot of time just to cut up flower materials andsort them by color tones. I was worried about how to talk to the participants and how tobehave. As the times I participated increased, I naturally developed the ability to distinguishbetween yellow and blue undertones, and it took less time to sort the floral materials. In
communicating with participants, which used to make me nervous, I began to enjoy it bypracticing the "one article of praise and one piece of advice" method advised by Ms.
Yoshida, and I am now able to follow up with our junior students. Preparations for thecourse and support on the day of the course were flexibly implemented to suit the target
audience, and I learned the importance of careful advance preparation. The experience asassistant allowed me to interact with people of all ages, and in particular, horticultural
therapy had some similarities with “Hana-Iku,” making it a very valuable experience.
When I actually planned and managed the workshops by myself, I felt the difficulty ofdeciding on the content of the course, selecting floral materials and supplies that fit theimage, and organizing the procedures and schedule for the day of the workshop. I also
learned how difficult it was to give accurate instructions to the staff who assisted me on theday of the workshop, and to communicate in a way that was easy for participants tounderstand. During the course, I often felt stimulated by ideas, and sometimes they showedinterest in things we did not expect them to. I believe that the main purpose of “Hana-Iku”
is not to improve techniques, but to foster an affinity for flowers and greenery, and tonurture the spirit and potential of each individual. Therefore, I feel that if we take a flexible
approach to “Hana-Iku,” without being preoccupied with fixed ideas, we can make the mostof our spontaneous ones. As a “Hana-Iku” specialist, it was a great learning experience forme to be involved in the spreading of “Hana-Iku” activities in the future.