Interview
Regards Croisés: Vanda Japon and the Transmission of French Floral Art in Japan
In this new episode of our Business: Regards Croisés series, we meet Vanda Japon, represented by its director Yuko Morimoto, florist and Ikebana master. Established in Japan since June, the school’s mission is to promote French floral art in a country where this tradition is still not widely known.
« Our goal is to preserve French floral tradition and culture, and to create new floral events here in Japan. »
A Cultural Challenge Successfully Met
When launching in Japan, Vanda Japon had to adapt to a market where flowers are not part of daily life, as opposed to France, where they are purchased spontaneously. In Japan, people have fewer opportunities to give flowers as gifts, and their higher cost further limits their use. To facilitate this cultural shift, Vanda began with small seasonal workshops, especially for Christmas, offering the Japanese public a first concrete experience of French floral aesthetics and laying the foundations for a new floral culture.
A Bridge Between Ikebana and French Floral Art
With twenty years of experience in Ikebana and formal training in French floral art, Yuko Morimoto brings a unique http://www.vanda-formation.frperspective on the two traditions. However, she refuses to mix them: “I can teach both styles, but I cannot fuse them.” For her, each art form has its own philosophy. Vanda Japan thus becomes a meeting point between two powerful aesthetics, where French tradition is transmitted faithfully while respecting Japanese sensibilities.
A Japanese Floral Market of Exceptional Richness
Tokyo’s flower market one of the most diverse in the world, offers Vanda Japon extraordinary raw materials. Japan even surpasses the Netherlands in variety of available flowers, thanks to local producers who constantly innovate in textures, shapes, and colors. This abundance allows Vanda to teach French floral art with flowers of remarkable quality, appreciated by both professionals and hobbyists.
Training Open to All
Vanda Japon offers a wide range of courses: professional training programs, workshops for amateurs, and in-depth French floral art classes. At a time when traveling from Japan to France for training has become increasingly difficult, the school provides access to rare and sought-after instruction. Vanda aims to become Japan’s leading reference for French floral education.
