Discover Ikebana

Ikebana is the art of association of ideas and impressions of nature expressed through flowers. In Ikebana the elegance of a branch conveys the change of the seasons. A single flower symbolizes nature. Bamboo symbolizes integrity since it doesn't bend. The Amur Adoni represents good luck. The evergreen pine suggests the abode of a deity.

The original school of Ikebana is Ikenobo. Other schools have emerged since its beginning over 500 years ago, yet Ikenobo, merging traditional styles with creative interpretations is often called "the soul of Ikebana".

In the 16th century the "rikka" style using contrasting but complementary materials arranged in a single vase to express the beauty of a natural landscape was developed. This was followed by"shoka", a simple style in the 18th century that integrated three main branches that form a unity to express life's perpetual change and renewal.

"Free style, Moribana & Nageire" are the most recent in Ikenobo's long tradition and uses plant materials in new individualistic ways. "The Ikenobo school considers a flower's bud the most beautiful, for within the bud is the energy of life's opening toward the future" states Sen'ei Ikenobo, the 45th headmaster of Ikenobo in Japan.