Flower Arrangement

Together with the tea ceremony, Ikebana (also known as kadou or way of the flower) was established in the Muromachi period as a central part of the Higashiyama culture under the shougun Ashikaga Yoshimasa.. Because Japan is blessed with changing seasons and plentiful flora, it was not enough simply to go out and pick flowers from the field. They had to be displayed artistically, and this is the heart of ikebana. At times this artistic arrangement entails making them look as close to their ideal natural state as possible, and at times the elements of the arrangements are used to represent the heavens, earth, and man; both of these being important principles in many schools.

Ikebana has developed numerous styles over the years. Some of the most common today are explained below. All told, there are 2-3,000 different schools of ikebana.

(photo: Ikenobou)

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