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The Creative Art of Ikebana

Ikebana (literally translated "Living Flowers,") is an ancient floral art of Japan which has captured the attention of people throughout the world because of its beautiful, graceful lines and pleasing forms.

Traditional forms emphasize the natural beauty and dynamic energy of flowers and plant life by making clear their true features in an ideal state.  All of the materials of nature are used in combination; flowers, trees, leaves, grasses, branches, etc.  When seen close up in compositional form, a depth of beauty and vigor may be revealed which the eye usually passes over when viewing the same material in its natural environment.

Contemporary forms focus on the personal creativity of the flower arranger, irrespective of the natural beauty of the material and may present a deep level of artistic impact as the designer seeks to communicate an idea or feeling through a stronger emphasis on form itself.

There are numerous schools of ikebana, each with its own set of rules and techniques.  One such school is the Ichiyo School.  Ichiyo, pronounce ee-chee-yo, means "one leaf" in Japanese and refers to the logo of the school.  It was founded in Japan in l937 by a brother and sister, Meikof and Ichiyo Kasuya.  Since the school's beginnings, these two masters sought to create original ikebana that would be suitable for modern lifestyle and environments.

Headmaster Akihiro Kasuya
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The Present Headmaster

Naohiro Kasuya Headmaster of Ichiyo School of Ikebana

Naohiro Kasuya was born in Tokyo in 1980, as the second son of Akihiro Kasuya, the third Headmaster of the Ichiyo School. On January 20th, 2019, he was installed as fourth generation Headmaster of Ichiyo School of Ikebana.

As well as teaching ikebana, he has been displaying his works at solo and a wide range exhibitions. He gives ikebana instructions and artistic support for movies and TV programs. He is also passionately involved in collaborative works with artists of different fields.

He conducts ‘Ikebana Live’ and workshops not only in Japan but also overseas such as USA, New Zealand, Australia, India, South Africa and the Ukraine, including an ikebana demonstration at the New York Metropolitan Museum. In August, 2018, he demonstrated at the Ikebana International Ninth European Regional Conference at Bruges, Belgium.

Current positions :

  •              ●  Japan Ikebana Art Association – Standing committee member
  •              ●  Ikebana Association – Associate board member