Fumi Flower Shop

Q: Where are you from, and what brought you to China?

A: My hometown is Kobe, Japan, a city gathering many designers. Because of its location near the sea as a port of Japan, many foreign cultures have reached Kobe, bringing diversity to the city.

Q: What is it like developing your current business in China? How were you introduced to it?

A: My interest to begin a business in China developed back a decade ago when I met my husband in Shenzhen, China. He was employed there, spending time at a job that had no relation to mine now, yet he suggested and supported me to start a flower shop if liked flowers and wanted to. The original intention inside me was to look for opportunities within Shanghai to begin the business because of the relatively diverse Japanese culture there, yet the little near-sea city felt too crowded by citizens. As I looked towards Beijing, I found that the atmosphere and culture there was very fascinating, thus landing my shop there.

In Japan, I was introduced to flowers at an early age and officially began studying the topic around my 30s, putting a lot more attention towards the study of flower arrangements.

Q: Why a Flower Shop? Where and how did you learn about flower arranging techniques?

A: I wanted to begin a career that I really loved and had a passion for after working as a translator for life. First touching flower arrangements as a young child, I developed experience with the Japanese style of it over time, where I finally decided to run my own flower business over the many degrees I earned in arranging flowers.

Q: What have been some differences in flower arrangements between the Japanese and Chinese cultures? Are there any in terms of students from each culture?

A: With numerous differences in culture between China and Japan, so are in the area of flower arrangements. Throughout the Japanese style, the arrangements can be divided into a traditional style and a modern style, having learnt both myself. There are many schools of Japanese flower arrangements—of them generalizing to be a detail-centered style with emphasis on lines, sense of space, and use of contrast throughout the flowers. This is a major point that differs from the traditional Chinese styles of flower arranging. The Japanese have also always believed in the connection between humans and nature through their flower arrangements, using them as a way to pay respect to nature and living. Cutting out flowers will mean their death of it, and rearranging them is a way to revitalize their life in Japanese culture.

During the early years of my flower business, 90% of my students were Japanese. However, over recent years as the Chinese Japanese relationship and economy have intensified, the number of my Japanese students has decreased, and I now teach Chinese students for the majority of 80%.

There sure exists differences among the habits and thinking of students with different cultural backgrounds as I have observed. Due to differing educational strategies, the Japanese students are always accepting of my suggestions and follow my teaching strategies; some Chinese students, however, often have their own intentions and ideas to put into a piece, ignoring the key points of the arrangement. Bits of frustration arose within me at first, as I joked with them ‘you should be arranging flowers at home if you’re going to do it your own way’. Despite some stubbornness in their thinking, this can also be a sense of creativity in their minds. Furthermore, many Chinese women that I have taught also hold a determined spirit in their willingness to learn, whereas the Japanese may not be as desirable. I have led many students to win awards in the area of flower arranging,

Q: As a Japanese ex-pat in China, how accepting has society been to someone like you? What was it like adjusting to the community?

A: Whether in terms of my personal life or career, there had been a period of unease moving to a foreign country. Even though I was exposed to the Chinese language beforehand and familiarized myself with it, the differing customs and cultures between different locations in China also set a challenge for me. Moreover, despite that the target of my business is around flowers in all cultures, the confidence in arranging flowers built inside me from times in Japan was sometimes lost as I encountered a new environment and society. Due to this, I had to adapt my arranging style to gain the interest of the Chinese students; changes were necessary throughout the different appreciation of beauty in different cultures.

As the Chinese culture progressed, so did their aesthetic judgment in society. Thus, some changes were beneficial to my career as their views were gradually appreciative of the varied styles of flower arrangement, including the Japanese style I currently teach.

Q: Could you please share an experience where you came to struggle because of a cultural difference?

A: Without a doubt, there are definite challenges when it comes to my career of maintaining a flower shop, especially with visiting customers. In general, Japanese customers are more flexible and direct with their needs, never having picky demands while selecting flowers. With Chinese customers, many tend to be more direct with me, speaking of their desires directly—which is a cultural difference that I wasn’t comfortable with at first. Yet over time, through time and communicating about it with some of my Chinese friends, I found a gradual adjustment to the attitudes of the Chinese customers.

Q: While adjusting to the Chinese community, was there a group of people that supported you throughout the process? Who were they, and how did they impact you?

A: To me, honesty was always the key to everything. Everyone will experience misunderstandings, and having the honesty and heart to try and understand each other will be essential to those in a smaller business, where the relationship between me and my employees is quite close. Many times when I felt overwhelmed with unease, they were the ones that had my back and supported me. My employees were also stable in this job they enjoyed, as the kind way they treat me always really touched me. Over the past 3 years with the pandemic, the relationships I built with them are also a big support to my staying in China; without them, I might’ve returned to Japan. Whenever I struggled with my feelings, my business was not what kept me ongoing—it was my loyal employees who were willing to build a mutually learning relationship with me. Many already spent 10 years studying with me in flower arranging.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share or say to the community about your experiences in China?

A: point that I wish the Chinese community will hold with them is their humane kindness. Even though their culture may not put an over-emphasis on the form of expression, most Chinese carry a kind heart. In addition to that, Chinese women have been quite determined in finding their value in society, believing in gender equality—a spirit I absolutely appreciate.