Latest news with #Fujikawa
Asahi Shimbun
2 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Osaka bonsai garden draws admirers from near and far
Michael McTeague, middle, an apprentice at Fujikawa Koka-en, the largest bonsai garden in western Japan, speaks about the global fascination with bonsai to visitors from Australia on June 4 in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. (Kazushige Kobayashi) IKEDA, Osaka Prefecture—One of the largest bonsai gardens in western Japan here has become a magnet for international bonsai enthusiasts after going viral online. Hundreds of exquisite tiny trees are crammed into the 500-square-meter Fujikawa Kouka-en, located in a residential area near Osaka Itami Airport. The collection includes maple trees with lush green leaves, 'shinpaku,' known for their elegantly curving, withered white branches and 'goyomatsu' with branches that hang below the pot as if clinging to a precipice. 'Unbelievable,' murmured Gabriel Tobar, 53, a first-time visitor to Japan from Chile, sighing in admiration. 'No two bonsai are alike and they are 'living art' crafted over many years,' he said. 'It is fun to imagine what these bonsai will be like 30 or 50 years from now.' Keiichi Fujikawa, 62, the owner of the garden and a bonsai artist, said that the impression that people from other countries have of bonsai differs from those in Japan. 'In Japan, bonsai has a strong image as something unattainable and a hobby enjoyed by some elderly men,' Fujikawa said. 'But people in other countries seem to regard the appearance of nature condensed in a small pot and the technique as an artform.' The city of Ikeda is in the northern part of Osaka Prefecture and borders Hyogo Prefecture to the west. According to the city government, garden tree cultivation began to flourish in the area from the late Muromachi Period (1336-1573), and by the early Edo Period (1603-1867), a wide variety of saplings and bonsai trees were being produced. Ikeda is considered by the industry to be one of the four major garden tree production centers in Japan, along with Kawaguchi in Saitama Prefecture, Inazawa in Aichi Prefecture and Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture. Fujikawa's father opened a garden specializing in floriculture and bonsai in 1950. After graduating from a university, Fujikawa trained at a bonsai garden in another prefecture before taking over the family business from his father. Fujikawa then dedicated the whole garden to bonsai. About 15 years ago, Fujikawa welcomed a young American as his first apprentice, who then began explaining Fujikawa's works and techniques on an English website and YouTube channel. The response was overwhelming, and Fujikawa has received a steady stream of visitors and apprentices from abroad since. Fujikawa has opened a residential school for foreign apprentices and began offering hands-on classes in 2024. He currently has two young apprentices, from Canada and Japan, who are honing their skills in the garden. Fujikawa's Instagram account has about 26,000 followers, mostly foreigners. He said he will continue to disseminate bonsai culture from Ikeda. (This article was written by Yukiko Sakamoto and Kazushige Kobayashi.)
Express Tribune
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Kate Hudson unsure about marrying fiancé Danny Fujikawa: "I like my freedom"
Kate Hudson has revealed she may never officially marry her fiancé Danny Fujikawa, despite being engaged for over three years. During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Hudson shared her hesitation about marriage, stating: 'The contractual thing is tough for me. I like my freedom. I like the concept of freedom.' She even joked about preferring the idea of 'being engaged forever', pointing to her famous parents, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who have been together since 1983 but never married. Photo: FilmMagic 'They never signed the contract. They've been engaged since I was 7,' Hudson explained, highlighting that a formal wedding isn't a priority for her. Hudson also admitted she doesn't feel the typical excitement about wedding planning, saying, 'It's the opposite. I have to plan it, it's going to cost so much money, and it's just a lot.' However, she hasn't ruled out eloping, adding she still wants some traditional elements like a gravy boat. The Almost Famous star began dating Fujikawa in 2016 after 15 years of friendship. They got engaged in 2021 and share a daughter, Rani Rose, born in 2018. Photo: Instagram Hudson also has two sons: Ryder Robinson with ex-husband Chris Robinson, and Bingham Hawn Bellamy with ex-fiancé Matt Bellamy. Despite her doubts about marriage, Hudson and Fujikawa remain deeply committed, with no rush to walk down the aisle.
The Independent
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Kate Hudson reveals why sex is better than ever in her 40s
Kate Hudson has shared the reason why her sex life has improved with age. The How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days star, 45, revealed things are now way better in the bedroom than they were in her 20s or 30s. Hudson is engaged to musician Danny Fujikara, who she welcomed a child with in 2018. She also shares a six-year-old with Muse frontman Matt Bellamy and her eldest with The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson. Speaking to Bustle to promote her forthcoming comedy series, Running Point, alongside Max Greenfield, Justin Theroux, Jay Ellis and Toby Sandeman, Hudson revealed the nugget of wisdom. 'Best part about sex in your 40s, honestly, is the freedom,' she said. 'Sex isn't supposed to be pretty…and I think that when you get older you kind of have more fun with that.' Elsewhere in the interview, Hudson admitted she can't help but flirt with everyone but thinks Fujikawa, 38, 'can handle' that side of her personality. 'I'm the biggest flirt on the planet. So I think anybody who's ever been with me is very aware that I flirt with everybody - girls, boys,' she said. 'Thank God Danny is my partner. He can handle this. I met the right guy,' the star added. It comes after Hudson recently shared how her ex-husband Robinson helped her feel unconditionally loved. Hudson and Robinson were married from 2000 to 2007 and share their 19-year-old son, Ryder. 'Chris completely opened that floodgate for me forever,' she said. 'No matter how complicated the relationship got at one point, the most important moment for me was meeting him, and him allowing me to understand what that felt like.' The How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days star later dated Muse frontman Matt Bellamy, with whom she shares 11-year-old son Bingham Hawn Bellamy. The pair were engaged in 2011 but ended their relationship in 2014. Hudson is currently engaged to Fujikawa, who she met through her good friends and The World's First Podcast hosts Sara and Erin Foster. They have been engaged since September 2021 and share their four-year-old daughter Rani Rose. In December, the daughter of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson revealed why she hasn't started planning her wedding to Fujikawa yet. Speaking on ITV's This Morning, Hudson said she wasn't sure about what type of wedding she wanted to have, pondering: 'I go back and forth, I go: 'Do I really want a big wedding?' We're so happy. It's not the first thing I need. 'It's not really the golden ticket…a wedding. And we also don't know where we're gonna do it. But it will happen.'
