Welcome
The Ichiyo School of Ikebana
The Ichiyo School of Ikebana was founded in 1937 by a brother and sister–Meikof and Ichiyo Kasuya. The first headmaster of the school was Ichiyo Kasuya and the second was Meikof Kasuya. Eventually, their son Akihiro became the third headmaster of the school. Akihiro’s son, Naohiro Kasuya, is the present and fourth headmaster.
Since the school’s establishment, the ikebana headmasters have sought to create an original ikebana that would be suitable for modern lifestyles and environments. They focused on two types of flower arrangements: one to fit diversified personal surroundings, from the traditional tokonomas or alcoves, to Western entry tables, and another for public spaces from stage settings to hotel lobbies or even department stores.
The Ichiyo School instructs students worldwide by using unique, systematically organized textbooks. in 1966, centers for instruction in Europe and the United States were established, and today Ichiyo ikebana is widely known overseas. Texts are written in both Japanese and English. In the beginning of one’s training, the school offers students more formal instruction based on the text books and supplemental materials. However, as the student progresses, the instruction is received more directly from one’s teacher based on the student’s needs. The student’s own creativity is developed and expected as one progresses. The principles of ikebana as understood by the Ichiyo School of Ikebana include seeing balance, harmony, and form in the arrangements that are created. Every arrangement should have form, line, texture, color, and space. Arrangements can be any size as long as they retain these qualities. Branches, leaves, and grasses provide form and line movement and play a dominant role in an arrangement. Arrangements are many times asymmetric and should be seen from the front in most designs. Development of this art form is a lifelong study with a teacher. There are many schools of ikebana, and each interpret this art in their own style as does the Ichiyo School.
The practice of ikebana is not a commercial pursuit. Its benefits come from adding beauty in our daily life, the development of patience, discipline, imagination and a sense of well-being and awareness. In practicing this art and sharing it with others, we improve our overall quality of life by seeing beyond ourselves.
My training started in 2012 and continues to this day. My teacher is Gail Newman. However, during the winter,when she is in Florida, I take lessons from her teacher–Karen Napoli–who has received training from headmaster Akihiro Kasuya while she was living in Japan. Presently, I’m an Associate Master working on my Junior Master certification. Over the years, it has been possible for me to work with the Iemoto of the Ichiyo School (both Akihiro and Naohiro Kasuya) when they came over to the United States for demonstrations and teaching conferences.
Learning Ikebana
How does one learn ikebana? Well, the first step is to find a certified teacher. There are self-styled teachers who have not had any formal ikebana training, but advertise themselves as ikebana teachers even though they don’t have a certificate to prove their authenticity as a teacher. They are not formal members of an official school of ikebana. If there are no teachers in one’s area, it may be possible to take lessons through online instruction. However, finding a teacher who does online instruction and learning ikebana through online lessons is very difficult and just not as good as in-person instruction. Ikebana is a hands-on learning experience and there is nothing better than in-person instruction. Luckily in this area of New York, there are multiple teachers. Ikebana International Rochester Chapter 53 has a list of schools and teachers from which one can choose. Just click the Ikebana International Rochester Chapter 53 logo to get to the list of teachers. In the Buffalo, NY, there are only two teachers. However, the only teacher accepting students at this time is of the Ichiyo School of Ikebana and the author of this website.
Once a prospective student has an idea of what kind of ikebana teachers there are in their area, the next step is to find the school of ikebana that most attracts them. in this regard, one can look over the Ikebana International Rochester Chapter 53 website, “Schools,” and get a sense of what the different school’s styles are. Just click the Ikebana International Rochester Chapter 53 logo below to get to that page. Once a school is selected, then one just needs to contact a teacher to arrange lessons. If one is interested in taking Ichiyo School of Ikebana lessons in the Buffalo area, all one needs to do is go to the “Contact” page of this website and submit a request.
Teaching styles
In any school of ikebana, the curriculum may be the same, but each teacher has his or her own style of teaching. It is important to find a teacher with whom one is comfortable. How one teaches ikebana can be affected by many different factors.
My practice of teaching ikebana has been greatly affected by what brought me to learn ikebana in the first place. Being a formal student in the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism centered at Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, NY, one is asked to take up an art practice as part of their training. This art practice has been conventionally done through one of the traditional Zen arts such as ikebana. So, after moving to Rochester in 2012, joining Ikebana International and taking ikebana lessons just made sense. And I’ve continued to this day. My practice of ikebana has been and continues to be influenced by my practice of Zen Buddhism. In this light, ikebana is not just about making an attractive flower arrangement, but the main goal is to reveal the plant material’s true nature, which is our true nature and the true nature of the universe–complete with nothing lacking. So, when an ikebana arrangement is done well, the viewer has the opportunity to see beyond themselves and experience life in all of its intimacy.
(For more information about the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism and Zen Mountain Monastery, please click the images below.)
Lessons
Presently, lessons cost $10 per person plus the cost of the floral materials which the student keeps. Payment is due at the time of the lesson. In the beginning, floral materials are supplied by the teacher, but as one continues to grow in their ikebana skills, the student will take on more responsibility in providing their own. How often one takes a lesson depends on the student and the teacher’s schedules. Lessons are typically given in the teacher’s home.