Japanese Masters at Creating Funeral Flower Arrangements

Japanese actress Kirin Kiki died a few weeks ago and her wish to have a modest funeral was granted. Still, the flower arrangements present at the ceremony drew attention, especially from those unfamiliar with the floral ornaments that the Japanese often wear at wakes.

In the case of Kiki, the floral arrangement was considered simple but very beautiful, creating a wave of white flowers that received family, friends and fans of the actress. The wave of flowers was made up of 1, 200 chrysanthemums, orchids and gypsophils.

In Japan, it is very common for people to have funerals decorated with waves and mountains, especially men, to represent the strength of the departed. The preference for abundant flowers is believed to have started in Kyoto just 30 years ago, creating an ever-growing custom, but as recent as technology and logistics to organize these presentations.

Endless beauty

As you might imagine, it is not cheap to create this farewell floral backdrop. In 2006, Beauty Kadan established itself as the first specialist in funeral flower arrangements to be part of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and Youkaen, which has operated in the funeral flower business since 1972, claims that 75% of its 50 billion Yen in sales comes from the funeral flowers.

The complexity of funeral flower arrangements in Japan was noted by Haruichi Mimura, who wrote a 480-page book on the seikasaidan, which is the name of this work. Everything is taken into account to make the final arrangement dazzling: from the type of flower to the tools used for planting, harvesting and ornamentation. Check out some of these arrangements below and tell us what you think:

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