JAPANESE FLORAL DESIGNER HOLDS SHOW

About 25 budding floral designers crowded into Francine's Flower and Garden Shop Sunday to watch Naito Shuka, a world-renowned designer, practice her trade.

Naito was visiting her sister, Naito Nagako, who lives in Cape Girardeau. The sisters invited friends to watch Naito demonstrate Ikebana, a type of Oriental floral design that addresses the space, color and texture of flowers.

Francine Seier, owner of Francine's, sponsored the event.

Naito teaches students in Tokyo and also travels to Egypt, Switzerland, Germany and other countries to demonstrate her art. She began designing when she was 15 years old.

Naito speaks little English but had an interpreter with her Sunday.

"I am inspired by the color coordination between the vases and the flowers," she said. "I just like flowers."

She said she was impressed with the selection of flowers available in the United States compared to the other countries she has visited.

Naito created six floral designs for her audience, using white and red roses, tulips, kangaroo paw, silver-dollar plants and several other varieties of flowers.

After the show, the Naito sisters held a reception and served traditional Japanese food.