Foreign Minister Commendation for Ms. Atsuko Bersma

On October 14, at the exhibition held by Ms. Atsuko Bersma and her pupils at the Botanic Garden of Meise, Ms. Bersma was awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendation in attendance of Ambassador Hayashi and his spouse, Ms. Kono, and Ms. Ikoma. Ms. Atsuko Bersma has been teaching Sogetsu Ikebana abroad since the 1970s, mainly in European countries. In 1996 she founded the “Ikebana International Hana chapter of Belgium”, of which she became the first president. Beyond her own Ikebana school, she contributed greatly to the promotion of Ikebana in Belgium. Ambassador Hayashi expressed his respect towards Ms. Bersma for her many years of achievement and contribution to the friendship relations between Japan and Belgium, and handed her a certificate and a supplementary prize.