Orchid Lovers Gather for Massive Festival in Tokyo

Anchor: Twenty years ago, orchids werent all that popular in Japan. But recently, people’s love for the flower has blossomed. NTDs Liliana Yap in Tokyo brings us to what’s become the worlds biggest orchid exhibition. Story: The Japan Grand Prix International Orchid Festival brings orchid lovers from all over the world together. Festival organizer, Masayoshi Takahashi, fell in love with orchids when he was just a kid. [Masayoshi Takahashi, Organizing Committee, Orchid Festival]: “My grandfather had the first orchid shop in my family, and he cultivated orchids. Since 1955 it was my grandfathers family business, and then my fathers and now mine. Ive studied orchids since I was little. As a kid, each orchid had a different face, each face was entirely different so it was really interesting.” There are an enormous amount of orchid varieties. But they can be classified into two different types: terrestrial, which grow on the ground and epiphytes, which grow on trees with flowers that hang down. There are also rare oriental varieties. Toshiyuki Ishiko is an orchid expert who travels all over the world searching for unique orchids. He’s been to Ecuador and Peru during his search, and wrote a book about his journey. Hes also a member of an orchid lovers group so he can learn more and more about the flowers. [Toshiyuki Ishiko, Orchid Expert]: “We gather once a month to exchange information on different kinds of flowers and how to grow them. Orchid enthusiasts like to brag, Look, I …