Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH) Board Member Nanako Hyakutake Tingleaf has received a commendation from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in recognition of her contributions to the promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and the United States in Houston.
Consul General Hirofumi Murabayashi presented the commendation certificate to Mrs. Tingleaf at a reception held at the Official Residence on March 11, 2024. Mrs. Tingleaf’s efforts were also celebrated with remarks from University of Mary Hardin Baylor and from Japan-America Society of Houston.
Mrs. Nanako Tingleaf is a longstanding member of the JASH Board of Directors. Over her many years of service to JASH, Mrs. Tingleaf has played a leading role in engaging female members of the Society. She supported the coordination of the JASH Annual Ladies’ Luncheon and chaired the “Language Culture Kai” arranging gatherings to connect Japanese expat wives with local women.
Nanako-sensei is most widely known for sharing the art of ikebana with Houston. Mrs. Tingleaf has been practicing ikebana since middle school. She secured her private teaching license in her early twenties and has gone on to earn multiple certificates in the School of Ikenobo. Mrs. Tingleaf is a “Professor of Ikebana of the First Grade.”
Mrs. Tingleaf has acted as translator to the Headmaster Senei Ikenobo and his assistants from Kyoto for the celebration of the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Texas’ 50th Anniversary Symposium, and was presented by the Headmaster with an award of merit for the advancement of Ikenobo Ikebana. Mrs. Tingleaf was also a lead sponsor of the Ikebana International 18th North & Central American Regional Conference, which took place in Dallas in 2019, bringing to the event Headmaster Designate Dr. Senko Ikenobo.
In addition to practicing the art of ikebana under the professional name “Gyokusui,” Mrs. Tingleaf has served multiple terms as President of the Ikebana International Houston Chapter and the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Texas. Further, Mrs. Tingleaf serves on the Hermann Park Conservancy Japanese Garden Advisory Committee, is an active member of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Friends of Asian Art, and is a past member of the Asia Society Texas Center Board of Directors,
Mrs. Tingleaf continues to teach ikebana classes, including classes for JASH pro bono. Mrs. Tingleaf also regularly creates ikebana arrangements for official Consulate events as well as for the Japan-America Society of Houston.
As JASH Executive Director Patsy Brown noted in her remarks.
Mrs. Tingleaf has made Japan-America Society of Houston not just an organization but a community where individuals are welcomed and connections are deepened. [She is] a true ambassador of Japanese culture and its values … harmony, balance and respect.
JASH expresses our deepest appreciation to Mrs. Nanako Tingleaf for her contributions to the sharing of Japanese culture, and we congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition.
