Japanese flower arranging was once popular in the west, but like most trends, it gradually went out of fashion. However, there are signs that it is coming back in an even bigger way and is now used to give an individual touch to minimalistic décor, especially in metal and glass warehouse type settings and as before, a complement to art of feng shui. (This is a strange conjunction of styles ideologically because one is Japanese and the other Chinese. However, the two seem to blend well design wise.)

Up until 1868 it was Japanese men who normally had the skills to arrange the flowers. Buddhist priests, warriors and noblemen all used the art as a discipline, but after the beginning of the 20^th century women started to enjoy it too. Men still head the most influential flower arranging schools in Japan.

The Japanese word for this art is Ikebana. It's literal  translation is 'keep flowers live'.

There are more than 3000 flower arranging schools in Japan and each has a separate system. The best known schools are Ikebono, Sogetsu, and Ohara.

Ikenobo is the oldest of the training schools and it was started by the Buddhist priest, Ikenobo Senkai, in the fourteen hindreds. He is also famous for inventing 'rikka' which is the standing flowers style, which has seven branches, and is a symbol of the wonder of nature.

Two main Ikebana, or flower arranging schools exist. The moribana  is built in a shallow vase and the nageire stands in a tall wase. Sogetsu is the only school that makes patterns, called kakei, which show a beginner how to build an Ikebana. It is like using a plan for building a model plane. Simply get the pieces and place them as directed. 

During the sixtenn hundreds a new easier style was developed. This was called shoka and had just three branches.

Japanese flower arranging or Ikebana  is always asymmetrical and three-dimensional 

Ikebana styles  originate from ancient Japan and some  go back hundreds of years but they still form part of the. There are lots of modern styles and variations on what were used to be very rigid rules. Less subtle, more modern and non traditional forms are now very popular.

The Ikenbono style has sixty thousand or more qualified teachers spread over the entire world.