The Bermuda National Gallery has continued its cross-cultural links by hosting a display of traditional Japanese customs. Mikiko Inoue, an Ikebana, which is the Japanese style of flower arranging, teamed up with BNG education officer Judy Wong to put on a display of Japanese traditions.

Ms Inoue, who is one of the founders of the Bermuda Japanese Society, taught teachers how to wear a kimono, about the traditional Japanese tea ceremony and calligraphy, which she said are traditions that are being lost in Japan.

Ms Wong said that the BNG host a Bermuda Union of Teachers workshop every year and last year they hosted a workshop on African Art, Culture and Tradition. ?It was such a great success and it included Ruth Thomas telling stories, Dusty Hind showing and talking about African art, the Bermuda African Dance Company and Lloyd Webbe presenting the teachers with a selection of photographs on Africa today and discussing his travels there,? said Ms Wong.

?So building on that success, we decided to host a workshop with a Japanese theme this year. Two reasons for this, firstly as a cultural institution we believe in opening a window of opportunity for the public to discover and learn about other cultures through the artwork. And secondly, one of our next set of exhibitions for Winter 2005, sponsored by Endurance, is on Yoshitoshi, the last of the great Ukiyo-e artists, which translates to ?images of the floating world? and ?floating world? meaning human existence.?

Ms Wong said what is fascinating about Yoshitoshi, is his woodblock prints and his life tell the story of a certain point in Japanese history, where Japan opened up to the West, and there was a great clash of cultures.

?So to conclude, the BUT workshop was inspired by one of the next exhibitions,? she said, ?Then, we invited the Japanese Association to be part of this educational experience. The day went extremely well. I started off with a presentation on woodblock printing and Yoshitoshi, this was followed by a demonstration of wearing the kimono.

?We then had hands-on workshops on Japanese calligraphy and the Japanese tea ceremony. The teachers evaluated the workshop and all of the comments were in praise of the Gallery and the workshop.?

Ms Wong said that some of the teachers did not know quite what to expect, but found it interesting and another said it was informative and enlightening.?

Miss Inoue has now left Bermuda to return to her native Japan where her aim is to teach and conserve some of the old customs and traditions, which are being lost. ?I have applied to work as teacher of Japanese culture at the university and if they accept me I will teach how to wear a kimono, how to play Koto, practise the tea ceremony and Ikebana, which is the Japanese style of flower arranging,? she said.

Ms Inoue said she only learned to wear a kimono during her university days. ?In university I learned to play the Koto, which is a traditional Japanese instrument, and at the Koto concerts we have to wear a kimono,? said Ms Inoue.

Miss Inoue, who formerly worked for Roses Flower Shop and Designer Flowers, said she was one of the few Japanese people in the Island that knew how to wear the kimono. ?Other Japanese people cannot,? she said, ?The reason is that people have to learn how to wear it and in this day and age, Japanese people don?t wear kimonos.

?In my grandmother?s time they wore kimonos all the time, but that is no more and they are only worn at traditional events, such as the tea ceremony, Koto concerts and at some weddings.

?It is a tradition that is dying. Japan today looks just like any Western city, but all the people have customs and I think we should keep doing them.?