Schools & Teachers
Learn more about the history & tradition of Ikebana, and find a teacher near you for lessons, weddings, private classes and more.
Ichiyo School
Founded in 1937, Ichiyo School, while respecting the ancient traditions of ikebana, has contributed innovations such as crossing lines, balancing floral materials and containers without the use of a kenzan, and creating large-scale stage productions. Arrangements are intended to arouse our senses in a different way from traditional ikebana, giving the viewer an experience with nature that is unexpected, stimulating and profound.
For more information about the Ichiyo School, click here.
Ohara School
Traditional — yet trend-setting!
Founder Unshin Ohara sought to capture nature’s beauty, showing the changing of seasons, and the harmony of natural materials. In a radical step for 1912, he presented his Landscape arrangements in shallow containers, featuring new flowers from the West.
Additionally, the art of Chinese scholars and the folding screens of the Edo period inspired eloquent and picturesque arrangements —what Ohara is known for. Now, current Headmaster Hiroki Ohara has again broken barriers with his playful crossed-stems style.
For more information about the Ohara School, click here. For more informationabout the Ohara School New York Chapter, click here.
Sogetsu School
"Anytime, Anywhere, Anything, by Anyone"
-Headmaster Akane Teshigahara
An avant garde style founded in Tokyo where “Flowers become human," according to Founder Sofu Teshigahara, 1927.
120 branches in 38 countries. Not restricted by fixed styles and allows free expression.
For more information about the New York Sogetsu School, click here.
For the Sogetsu School in Japan, learn more here.
Ikenobo School
The origin of Ikebana; 560 years of history encompassing styles from the most traditional (like Rikka, Shoka) to ultra modern free styles.
Ikenobo emphasizes space, line beauty, movement utilizing all phases of the plant -- blossoms, buds, branches bent by wind, leaves half eaten by bugs, seed pods and more -- to show their inherent characteristics and life.
For more information about the Ikenobo School, click here.
Ryusei-ha School
Founded in 1886 with both classical and modern free styles.
Developed an original method known as “the faces of plants,” where you discover the direct forms of plants and flowers, thereby changing your viewpoint. Materials are combined in a new way.
For more information about the Ryusei-ha School, click here.
Or follow them on Facebook here.
Souami School
Souami School was founded by Shinso Souami, whose most famous garden design is the world heritage Stone Garden of Ryoan-Ji in Kyoto.
To keep this style of Ikebana art as pure as possible, Souami had instructed all disciples not to commercialize this art form. The current headmaster, Yokochi Gahou, is a renowned oil painter in Tokyo.
For more information about the Souami School, click here.
Ichiyo School
Kaya Abe, Ichiyo
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Name: Kaya Abe
School: Ichiyo
Location : NJ/NYC/NY Upstate Catskills
Instruction: Weekly classes on Thu 1-3pm in Cliffside Park NJ
website www.momoglobalflowers.com
instagram: #momoglobalflowers
Email Kaya here.
Ikenobo School
Brian Mikesell, Ikenobo
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Name: Brian Mikesell
School: Ikenobo
Location: Great Barrington, MA
Instruction: Group workshops or individual lessons
Email Brian here.
Carol Wang, Ikenobo
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Name: Carol Wang
School: Ikenobo
Location: Flushing, NY
Instruction: Weekly classes at "Culture Center of Taipei Economy and Cultural Office in New York"
Friday's 10:30am-12:30pm & Saturday's 9:00am-12:00pm
Email Carol here.
Noritaka Noda, Ikenobo
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Name: Noritaka Noda
School: Ikenobo
Location: New York City
Instruction: Classes in NYC at
www.norinodanyc.com/classes-events/
Contact Noritaka here.
Paula Tam, Ikenobo
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Name: Paula Tam
School: Ikenobo
Location: New York City
(Upper & Lower East Side, Flushing, Queens)
Instruction: Weekly group & private classes. More information here: https://www.ikebananyc.org/
Yuri Ishizuka, Ikenobo
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Ohara School
Asae Takahashi, Ohara
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Name: Asae Takahashi
School: Ohara
Location: New York City
Instruction: Classes at Resobox (NYC)
Email Asae here.
Sogetsu School
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Name: Anne Lise Whitescarver
School: Sogetsu
Location: Golden Valley, Minneapolis, MN
Instruction:
Classes for all levels on Thursdays
Email Anne here.
Anne Lise Whitescarver, Sogetsu
Debbie Kopinski, Sogetsu
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Name: Debbie Kopinski
School: Sogetsu
Location: Tribeca, NYC & Amagansett, NY
Instruction: Small classes in both locations at flexible times
Email Debbie here.
Kaye Vosburgh, Sogetsu
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Name: Kaye Vosburgh
School: Sogetsu
Location: Newtown, MA
Instruction: Small classes for all levels on Zoom.
Email Kay here, or at:
Christine Donck-Guelton, Sogetsu
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Name: Christine Donck-Guelton
School: Sogetsu
Location: New York City
Instruction: Weekly group classes
Email Christine here, or at: www.ikebanachristine.com
Maye Smith-Beauchamp, Sogetsu
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Name: E Maye Smith-Beauchamp
School: Sogetsu
Location: Brooklyn
Instruction: Saturday's 10:30am - 1:30pm
Email E. Maye here.
Hazue Tamura-Rogers, Sogetsu
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![Teacher Shizue Pleasanton photo[28700].J](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/40c0e6_f3c3dd9f58f644c7a104429e0ee5e129~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_114,w_480,h_480/fill/w_399,h_399,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Teacher%20Shizue%20Pleasanton%20photo%5B28700%5D_J.jpg)
Shizue Pleasanton, Sogetsu
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Name: Shizue Pleansanton
School: Sogetsu
Location: New Canaan, CT
Instruction:
Wednesdays, 10am-12pm.
Silvermine School of Art (New Canaan, CT)
Find out more information about classes here.
Shoko Iwata, Sogetsu
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Name: Shoko Iwata
School: Sogetsu
Location: South Salem, NY
Instruction: Personal & small group classes; Thursdays & Fridays
Email Shoko here.
Yoko Ikura, Sogetsu
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Name: Yoko Ikura
School: Sogetsu
Location: Holmdel, NJ
Instruction:
Friday morning classes in Holmdel, NJ
Email Yoko here.
Souami School
Mei C. Yao, Souami
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Name: Mei C. Yao
School: Souami
Location: Armonk, NY
Instruction:
Meditative Ikebana in Classical Souami Style,
2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month
Email Mei here.