Analyzing the Difference Between Experts and Non-experts in Ikebana

Abstract: Ikebana flower arrangement is a traditional cultural activity in Japan. It originates from the Buddhist tradition of flowers for the deceased and possesses a 1,500-year history. Ikebana skill has been handed down in the oral tradition from the master to the disciple, not in a systematic educational system. Also, the process of arranging flowers has not been evaluated quantitatively. Therefore, the object of the present study was to evaluate the process in Ikebana flower arrangement by extracting and examining the various operations, or steps. First, we divided four participants according to the number of years they have been practicing Ikebana, dividing them into expert and non-expert camps. The seated participants arranged three flowers and four materials using free-style Ikebana methods. The process was recorded by two video cameras (60fps). Using the obtained video images, we measured the frequency and time by classifying the operations involved in arranging flowers. We found that the process of flower arranging could be broken down into six operations; ‘Observing’, ‘Cutting’, ‘Bending’, ‘Coordinating’, ‘Inserting’, and ‘Modifying’. There were differences in the number of ‘Coordinating’ and ‘Modifying’ steps between experts and non-experts. The number of ‘Modifying’ steps for experts (15 times) was significantly less than that for non-experts (33 times). Also, there were differences in the time spent ‘Bending’, ‘Coordinating’, and ‘Modifying’ between experts and non-experts. The time spent ‘Bending’ for experts (93 seconds) was significantly shorter than that for non-experts (106 seconds). Second, we analyzed a Japanese high school contest for Ikebana flower arrangement. Seven teams of three students set to participate, and the process of Ikebana was recorded by two video cameras (60fps). As a result, it was possible to quantify the characteristics of the winning team. These results suggest the importance of the skill of ‘Bending’ and ‘Coordinating’ in the process of Ikebana flower arrangement.

Keywords: Classifying the operation, Expert and Non-expert, Coordinating, Modifying

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe100801

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