Yo Matsumoto of Hibiya-Kadan Floral. He is part of the Flowering Japan Council. They are promoting the use of flowers for Valentine's Day and Halloween in Japan. Even though Japan is a flower minded country, flowers are still more popular for the older generation than for the younger generation. Therefore, they are promoting flowers among the younger generation. Currently, for Valentine's Day, women give chocolate to men. The aim of the Flowering Japan Council is to promote men also giving women something on that day, in particular flowers. Besides that, Halloween is becoming increasingly important in Japan. The Flowering Japan Council is trying to integrate the use of flowers and plants for that period.
Shunpei Shishido of MSK Garden holding the Viola Fleurette. He is a breeder and grower of potted carnations. He grows the carnations in a 3.200 sized greenhouse for the domestic market in Japan. Currently he owns 10 varieties and he supplies one of his varieties, the Kahori Scarlet, to the Dutch breeder and propagator HilverdaKooij.
Frans Diendens of Yalkoneh Flowers and Tadishi Sasaki of Japan External Trade Organization. Diendens grows the Hypericum Magical Series of Dutch breeder Kolster on a 17 ha sized land, at an altitude of 2,100 meters in Ethiopia. His assortment consists of seven colors and he exports them to the Netherlands and Japan. In Japan, the mixed arrangements are the most popular and their aim is to export 50% of their volume to Japan in the future.
Issei Yamaguchi of Asuken Co. For the third time, Yamaguchi is attending the IFEX. He grows oriental lilies and the "Asuka Coral Family" (celosia). These are flowers that look like coral. He produces 400,000 coral flowers and 250,000 oriental lilies per year in a hoop house and a plastic greenhouse in Japan. " For six months, we grow the celosia and the other six months we grow the oriental lilies", says Yamaguchi. At the show, he is presenting the coral flowers, which he also breeds. His current assortment consists of 20 colors. According to Yamaguchi, the green color is the most popular one and the orange color is increasing in popularity because of the increasing popularity of Halloween.
On Monday 19th October, the full photo report will be published.
For more about the exhibition:
IFEX Show Management
18F Shinjuku-Nomura Bldg., 1-26-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 163-0570, Japan
T: +81-3-3349-8519
F:+81-3-3349-8530
Email: ifex-eng@reedexpo.co.jp
www.ifex.jp