KARACHI, Feb 7: Speakers at a function on Saturday said that Pakistani people's love for nature was one of the reasons which had made Ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangements, popular here.

Speaking at the certificate-awarding ceremony of the 63rd batch of the Ikebana course, organized by the Japan Cultural Centre (JCC), they said that the traditional Japanese art, which dated from the 15th century, mirrored the emotions and spirit of the person who prepared the arrangement of the flowers.

The Corps 5 Commander's wife Aziza Hayat, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said that love for natural beauty and flowers was one of the main reasons owing to which Ikebana was very popular among Pakistanis, particularly women.

She said the rich cultural heritage of both the countries was a factor behind the friendship between both the countries and it was getting stronger with the passage of time.

The Japanese Deputy Consul General, Hitoshi Neki, said the popularity of Ikebana was global, particularly in women, and it was practised by them in many parts of the world.

He said that Pakistan and Japan enjoyed long-standing ties of friendship and the people of both the countries shared an attitude of accepting each others's culture with contentment.

He said that it had been proved time and again that the mutual understanding of each other's culture and nourishing of friendship helped ease tensions.

Ikebana teacher Asifa Ataka, JCC director Yuji Miyamoto, a representative of the graduating students, Iman Umer, and others also spoke on the occasion.

The chief guest gave certificates to the nearly 30 graduating students of classes I, II, and III. Flower arrangements by Nazli Khalid, Nasreen Pasha, Sabri Tufail, Sumaira Taufiq, Aneela akber, Shaheena tahir, Iman Umer, Mahin Umer, Fauzia Pasha, Sadiya Saeed and Ambareen Wahab were Šadjudged best in their respective classes. Later, she inaugurated the exhibition where arrangements by the students were on display.