Shop Web site: http://www.nonohana-tsukasa.com/

Show Notes for "The Wild Flower Shop"

Produced by Ohbuchi Yukari. Sound Engineer: Aihara Ken

This program introduce an oasis in the concrete jungle of Tokyo - the No no Hana flower shop. It is the only flower shop in Tokyo that specialise on wild flowers. In the program you will learn about a special connection between wild flowers and a Japanese Zen master, Sen no Rikyū (1522 - April 21, 1591). He is considered to have had a strong influence on chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha. He became the Tea Master of one of Japan's most famous military leaders, Oda Nobunaga (1534 – 1582), who played a major role in the unification of Japan under the rule of the Shogun in the late Sixteenth Century. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536 or 1537 – 1598) continued the unification movement, and Sen no Rikyū served as his Tea Master as well.

Rikyū is thought to have played a leading part in popularising and developing the wabi-sabi philosophy, and incorporating it into tea ceremony. The Japanese are very fond of this way of thinking, which emphasises simplicity. The tradition of wabi-cha, mentioned here above, embodies this kind of naturalness and simplicity. This style of tea ceremony uses very simple instruments and surroundings. It seems that wild flowers fit perfectly into such an atmosphere. Indeed, practitioners of the tea ceremony has been patrons of the No no Hana wild flower shop from the start.

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Sen no Rikyū

Portrait by Tōhaku Hasegawa (長谷川等伯) (born in 1539 and dead in 1610), calligraphy by Sōen Shunoku (春屋宗園) (born in 1529 and dead in 1611). Copied from http://www.omotesenke.com/image/04_p_01.jpg.

This image is in the public domain according to Japanese Copyright Law

Zen, tea, and wild flowers

It is beleieved Rikyū received the Buddhist name Sōeki (宗易) from the Rinzai Zen priest Dairin Sōtō (1480-1568) of Nanshūji temple in Sakai. Rikyū also underwent Zen training at Daitokuji temple in Kyoto. The Zen priest Nanbō Sōkei (南坊宗啓) is said to have been one of his primary disciples.

The tea ceremony and wabi philosophy has deep connections to Zen, going back to the legendary Japanese Zen monk Ikkyuu. The quiet and sober aesthetic of wabi has been described as "characterized by humility, restraint, simplicity, naturalism, profundity, imperfection, and asymmetry [emphasizing] simple, unadorned objects and architectural space, and [celebrating] the mellow beauty that time and care impart to materials." (from "Introduction: Chanoyu, the Art of Tea" in Urasenke Seattle Homepage).

Artificially bred and arranged flowers would seem quite alien in such an environment. This would seem to explain the interest in the No no Hana wild flower shop among practicioners of the Tea Ceremony. Perhap we will find an opportunity to ask some of them.

Photo Gallery

Here below is a visual introduction to the No no Hana Flower Shop.
To start the slide show, please click on the image below. Move your mouse cursor to the right and left edges and click to go forward and backward.

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Location

If you wish to visit the shop, here is the address:.

Address: 3-7-21 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3535-6929
Opening hours: 10:00 - 19:00
Sun. National holidays: 11:00 - 18:00

Map

While the No no Hana Flower Shop web site provides a map and other information, it is all in Japanese. We hope you will find this map helpful. Double-click with your mouse to zoom in. Click, hold and drag to pan. If you have a scroll wheel on your mouse you can use that to zoom in and out. The red marker pinpoints the location of the shop. Well known landmarks near the shop are the Matsuya Store, and the Apple Store in Ginza. Note that when you switch to the "Satellite" view (in the top right corner) you can see the greenery in the little garden on top of the building (number 12 in the photo gallery here above).

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