Ikebana is an ancient Japanese art that
involves arranging flowers, stems and
leaves in accordance with strict principles
designed to create harmony, balance, and a
beautiful form. Another name for ikebana
is “kado”, meaning “the way of flowers”.
The beginnings of ikebana can be traced to
the 6th century when Buddhism came to
Japan from India via China. As part of worship,
flowers used to be offered on the altar
in honour of Buddha. Ikebana thus began
as a ritual flower offering made in Buddhist
temples. Over the centuries, it achieved the
status of an art form, independent of its
religious origins. The first teachers and students
of ikebana were priests and members
of the nobility. However, over time, many
different schools arose, styles
changed, and ikebana came to be
practised at all levels of Japanese
society.
Today, there are over 2,000 different
schools of ikebana, and it
remains one of the most popular
arts in Japanese culture. Ikebana
masters are respected in the community
for their efforts in creating
new art forms and carrying on the old tradition,
and their floral arrangements are
displayed in art galleries and other public
spaces in Japan
