- Title: JAPAN: Japanese gardening fans admire roses at an annual flower festival
- Date: 25th May 2008
- Summary: (L!1) SAITAMA, JAPAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) PEOPLE GATHERING AROUND A ROSE WHICH WON THE BEST CUT ROSE COMPETITION ROSE PEOPLE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF CUT ROSE SEIBU DOME STADIUM FILLED WITH PEOPLE AND ROSE BOOTHS CROWDS WALKING THROUGH ROSE BOOTHS CROWDS WALKING THROUGH A TUNNEL OF ROSES SIGN WHICH READS "THE ENGLISH ROSE AVENUE GROWN BY DAVID AUSTIN" IN JAPANESE AND ENGLISH PEOPLE WATCHING AND TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF ROSES AT DAVID AUSTIN'S ROSE GARDEN NEW VARIETY OF ROSE "SIR JOHN BETJEMAN PEOPLE SMELLING ROSES DAVID AUSTIN ROSES TECHNICAL MANAGER MICHAEL MARRIOTT LOOKING AT ROSE DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHAEL MARRIOTT, TECHNICAL MANAGER AT DAVID AUSTIN ROSE GARDEN, SAYING: "So enthusiastic, absolutely fantastic, really overwhelmed. Actually enthusiasm for roses are fantastic, they are really enjoying them, loving looking at them and find out art about them, asking questions, enjoying fragrance, so they are extremely enthusiastic." ROSES PEOPLE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS PEOPLE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF RAINBOW COLOURED ROSE RAINBOW COLOURED ROSE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) AYA ISHIKAWA, SPOKESWOMAN OF INTERNATIONAL ROSE AND GARDENING SHOW SAYING: "We happened to hold this show for the first time when gardening had been all the rage in Japan. That might be part of the reason why this exhibition has been broadly accepted by the Japanese people in such a short time." PEOPLE LOOKING AT THE BONSAI ROSE BOOTH CERAMIC DOLL OF SNOW WHITE AND ROSES (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) KUMI OKUMA, DESIGNER OF A ROSE GARDEN SAYING: "Roses are not only very cute and romantic but it also matches the Japanese sense of style." PEOPLE BUYING ROSES AT RETAIL BOOTH
- Embargoed: 9th June 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVACCMS4ZXNU97DRF9JO47GGI0NG
- Story Text: Tens of thousands of Japanese crowded into the Seibu stadium on the outskirts of Tokyo for the Tenth International Rose and Gardening Show.
The fourteen-thousand square metre baseball stadium was packed with over a million blooms ranging from the common garden variety to the hybrid Tea rose and the Rainbow rose.
Japanese bonsai-style miniature rose exhibits as well as cut roses were also on display.
An estimated 250,000 visitors are expected over the five days of the show.
This year's exhibition, hosted by various Japanese government ministries including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as various local associations and foreign embassies, featured roses in a traditional European -- and especially British -- setting such as an English garden.
"(Japanese people are) So enthusiastic, absolutely fantastic, really overwhelmed. Actually enthusiasm for roses are fantastic, they are really enjoying them, loving looking at them and find out art about them, asking questions, enjoying fragrance, so they are extremely enthusiastic," said Michael Marriott, technical manager at David Austin's Rose Garden which was one of the attractions of the event.
The group also unveiled a new species of rose called the "Sir John Betjeman" for the first time in the world.
"We happened to hold this show for the first time when gardening had been all the rage in Japan. That might be part of the reason why this exhibition has been broadly accepted by Japanese people in such a short time," said Aya Ishikawa, the spokesperson of the International Rose and Gardening Show.
Japan has a long tradition of flower arrangement or ikebana (pronounced "ee-keh-bah-nah") and the Japanese are fascinated by flowers of all kinds.
But the rose stands out as an imported symbol of romance and femininity and is the only flower apart from the orchid which is feted at an exhibition devoted to one type of flower.
"Roses are not only very cute and romantic but it also goes with the Japanese sense of style," said Kumi Okuma, a rose garden designer and a visitor to the show.
The rose does not have a long history in Japan compared to the chrysanthemum or the cherry blossom, which are Japan's "national flowers", but the popularity of the flower is definitely blooming. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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