Japanese flower arranging used to be very popular in the west, then it went right out of vogue. It’s coming back in a big way and is often used to add a special touch to minimalistic décor, especially in conjunction with warehouses, metal environments and as a complement to Feng Shui.

Image via Wikipedia

Up until 1868 it was the Japanese men who usually arranged the flowers. This was mostly done by Buddhist priests, warriors and noblemen, but after the start of the 20th century it was taken up by many women. Strangely enough, men still head the most important formal flower arranging schools in Japan.

Image via Wikipedia

The Japanese word for this formal flower arranging is Ikebana. It literally means ‘keeping flowers alive’.

There are approximately 3000 flower arranging schools in Japan and each has its own style and rules, even though the differences may be very small. The most popular schools are Ikebono, Sogetsu, and Ohara.

Image by unforth via Flickr

Ikenobo is the oldest of these schools and it was founded by the Buddhist priest, Ikenobo Senkai, during the fifteen century. He is credited with inventing ‘rikka’ which is the standing flowers style, which had seven branches and a waterfall, and is said to symbolise the beauty of nature.

There are two main Ikebana, or flower arranging styles. The moribana is a style which is built in a very shallow vase and the nageire is arranged in a tall, narrow container. The sogetsu school is the only one that provides patterns, or kakei, which enable even a very basic beginner to built a correct Ikebana arrangement. It is just like using a plan to built a model aeroplane, or fit together, a piece of flat-pack furniture. You gather the correct pieces and arrange them as directed. This doesn’t sound anywhere near are skilled, or creative as learning the rules of the art first.

Image via Wikipedia

During the seventeenth century the new merchant class was growing and they developed a less complicated style which was called ’shoka’ which uses only three branches.

All Japanese flower arrangements are strictly asymmetrical and aim to achieve a three-dimensional effect.

Image by MShades via Flickr

The traditional styles which go back hundreds of years are still taught, even in the twenty-first century, but there are lots of modern variations on what were once rigid rules and forms. Bolder, more outrageous and unconventional arrangements are now becoming very popular too.

Image by ssedro via Flickr

The Ikenbono school now has more than sixty thousand qualified teachers scattered across the world and more than fifteen people in Japan, mostly women, practise the art as taught by this school.