As is the case every year, Christmas is just around the corner and people are thinking about presents for their loved ones, meeting up for a punch or mulled wine at the Christmas market and looking forward to a peaceful festive season.

Freshly arrived: The ikebana Calendar and the new edition 'Ikebana in the Change of Seasons' with Ikenobo Ikebana arrangements and inspiring words for a mindful path through a fulfilled and joyful year 2025. An inspiration for the soul in the change of seasons.

The new virtual Ikebana art exhibition of the Ikebana Bundesverband (IBV) on the theme 'Wilhelm Busch' is online. Once again this year, the IBV called on its members to create an ikebana on a given theme. This year's theme: the poet and illustrator Wilhelm Busch.

Celebrating Halloween has become very popular in Japan in recent years, even though it does not have deep cultural roots as in Western countries. The Japanese version of Halloween differs in many ways from the celebrations in Europe or the USA and is less focused on traditional origins such as driving out ghosts or the connection to All Saints' Day.

Autumn has arrived. Nature's last heralds of summer often appear in the form of late summer flowers and fruit, which once again reflect the warmth of the previous months. During this transitional period, the fields begin to glow in golden tones as the days get shorter and the sun gets lower.

The Tsukimi, or moon viewing festival, is a long-standing tradition in Japan that celebrates the beauty of the autumn moon, usually the full moon in September. It is the time when the moon appears at its fullest and most radiant in the autumn sky.

Kiku no Sekku (菊の節句) is the Japanese chrysanthemum festival, which is celebrated annually on September 9th. It is a traditional festival that was celebrated every year at the imperial court until the Meji period, when chrysanthemums were reserved for the imperial court alone.

The lotus 語蓮 is an iconic summer plant in Japan. These majestic flowers bloom in ponds and lakes, and their magnificent, often pink or white flowers rise high above the surface of the water.

During summer, Japan displays a lush variety of plants and flowers that transform the country into a colorful and vibrant landscape.