Upon mailing Australian Bush Flower Essences last year for help with a nauseous pregnant daughter, the speed of reply, kindness and concern was impressive. It was so impressive that it seemed a good idea to seek out the company's founder, Ian White, who said he would be coming to Japan in the spring, and would be more than happy to meet up.
So here he is, in central Tokyo, coming to the end of a daylong lecture on numerology and how it can be applied to the diagnosis and prescription of bush flower essences (in the form of drops, mists or creams) to resolve physical and emotional problems.
White looks like one of the flowers he is introducing by slide projector onto a screen. His shirt is whiter than white. His suit is lavender. His face is tanned, and his hair long and bleached in hippie surfer fashion. (When later, ready to leave, he puts on a creamy coat and a pink scarf, he looks nearly good enough to eat.)