Ikebono (池坊 - Chifang)

As a descendant of Ikebana’s ancestor - the monk Senkei Ikenobo, the Ikenobo style is considered the “root of Ikebana art. It is the oldest style that is still handed down to this day. Senkei Ikenobo was originally a monk of an old temple built in 587 - Rokkakudo Temple (official name: Shiunzan Chohoji). Up to now, many generations of the Ikenobo family are still holding managerial positions of Rokkakudo temple and the Ikenobo school. The current owner is the 45th generation - artisan Senei Ikenobo, and the next owner is artisan Senko Ikenobo.

There are three forms of flower arrangement in the Ikenobo style: Rikka (立花), Shoka (生花), and Jiyuka (由花).

As for the Rikka and Shoka forms, besides the Shofutai style (正風体) that always adheres to the traditional norms, there is also the liberal Shinputai (新風 体) style, which is not bound in terms of form and values. Meanwhile, Jiyuka is a form that is often seen at events or stages as an artistic highlight for the surrounding space.

Ohara

At the end of the 19th century, the artist Unshin Ohara created a form of Ikebana called “Moribana -盛花”, the beginning of the later Ohara school. Some specialized flower arrangement vocabulary is still popular today such as Suiban round tray ( 水盤) or Kenzan pin stand (山). The current owner of Ohara is artist Hiroki Ohara.

Western flowers can also be used to create harmony even with European-style rooms. banquet tables and vases arranged in the form of Moribana became extremely popular during the Meiji era, when sticky Living from the West is strongly imported.

Moribana of the Ohara style is divided into two major branches: Shakeimoribana (写景 盛花) - recreating the natural landscape in the Suiban round tray, and Shikisai-moribana (色彩盛花) - focusing on displaying the beauty of the shape and color of the flowers. There is also the Heika style (瓶花) which simply puts flowers in a vase, the Hana iso style (花意匠) suitable for modern spaces or the Hana kanade (花奏) style that emphasizes the simple cubism.