DUSHANBE, September 25, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Days of Japan’s Culture in Tajikistan will be held in Dushanbe from September 26-27.

According to the Japanese Embassy in Dushanbe, the event is held within the frameworks of the Central Asia plus Japan dialogue.

The cultural program includes exhibitions of ikebana, origami and kimono.  “Three visiting Japanese professors will demonstrate the art of arranging flowers in the ikebana style and making origami at Vefa Center,” the source said.

Ikebana (“arranged flower”) is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, also known as kado (the “way of flowers”).  More than simply putting flowers in a container, ikebana is a disciplined art form in which nature and humanity are brought together.  Contrary to the idea of floral arrangement as a collection of particolored or multicolored arrangement of blooms, ikebana often emphasizes other areas of the plant, such as its stems and leaves, and draws emphasis towards shape, line, form.  Though ikebana is a creative expression, it has certain rules governing its form.

Origami (from oru meaning "folding", and gami meaning "paper") is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding.  The goal of this art is to create a representation of an object using geometric folds and crease patterns preferably without gluing or cutting the paper, and using only one piece of paper.  Origami only uses a small number of different folds, but they can be combined in a variety of ways to make intricate designs. The most well known form is probably the Japanese paper crane.