Big In Japan - kiku (chrysanthemums)
Japan’s national emblem and the Hirakata Doll Show
In addition to a national flag, which all officially-recognised countries have, most nations also have at least one national emblem. These adorn things like money, government information and documents, and are also sometimes incorporated into nations’ flag designs. Typically a species of flora or fauna that is native to the country, examples of national emblems include England’s rose, the US’s bald eagle, Australia’s kangaroo, New Zealand’s kiwi and Canada’s maple leaf.
In Japan’s case, the national emblem is a chrysanthemum, a rare example of a country having a non-indigenous species as its emblem. It may come as a surprise to most Japanese people that their national emblem is not actually Japanese, but the cultivation of chrysanthemums is believed to have begun in China around 17,000 years ago.
Although Japan does have its own native species of chrysanthemum, these have much smaller petals than the shiragiku (white chrysanthemum), which was brought to Japan in the 8th Century AD and adopted as the Imperial crest a few centuries later (hence the term Chrysanthemum Throne being used for the Japanese Imperial dynasty). As with so many of Japan’s cultural imports from China (festivals, writing, food etc), the chrysanthemum was embraced with such affection and enthusiasm that it is considered an archetypal Japanese icon today.
Fondness for the flower in Japan is apparent from the numerous chrysanthemum shows held every year from October to December. Some of these shows include kiku ningyo (chrysanthemum doll) displays which depict famous scenes from history using lifesize figures adorned with living flowers, a uniquely Japanese art form which became popular during the Meiji Era.
Like so many Japanese traditional arts and crafts though, interest in learning chrysanthemum doll design and arrangement has been waning in the face of 21st Century modernity and the country’s declining population, and the decreasing number of skilled chrysanthemum doll designers - combined with the high cost of the shows and declining attendance numbers - may mean that kiku ningyo no longer feature in many chrysanthemum shows in future.
Indeed, arguably the most famous kiku ningyo show, at Hirakata Park near Kyoto, has already been forced to close. Held every year since 1910 and attracting more than 850,000 visitors at the height of its popularity in 1974, the show was one of the most spectacular examples of chrysanthemums doll arrangement and in December 2005 I caught the final show.
Like previous shows, the 2005 show was a large-scale display. Costing around 100 million Yen, the show included nine scenes telling the story of Yoshitsune, and featured background sets and over forty life-size dolls. While some of these were clothed in regular costumes made from cloth, the majority were adorned with brightly-coloured chrysanthemums replicating clothing, each doll requiring 100-150 flowers to be planted within a wicker body framework. In order to keep the chrysanthemums looking fresh they had to be replaced every 7-10 days, bringing the total number of flowers used in the show to 40,000.
Apart from the creepiness of some dolls, the final Hirakata Park kiku ningyo show was a visually-impressive experience and a good opportunity to see another Japanese traditional art form which places an emphasis on attention to detail.
Links: Human Flower Project, Japundit, Kansai Window