Японское искусство составления цветов Икебана

Traditional Japanese flower arranging

is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is also known as The origin of ikebana can be traced back to the ancient Japanese custom of erecting evergreen trees and decorating them with flowers as yorishiro (依代) to invite the gods. Later, flower arrangements were instead used to adorn the tokonoma (alcove) of a traditional Japanese home. Ikebana is counted as one of the three classical Japanese arts of refinement, along with kōdō for incense appreciation and chadō for tea and the tea ceremony.

The term ikebana comes from the combination of the Japanese and Possible translations include and .

The pastime of viewing plants and appreciating flowers throughout the four seasons was established in Japan early on through the aristocracy. [[Waka (poetry) poetry anthologies such as the Man'yōshū and Kokin Wakashū from the Heian period (794–1185) included many poems on the topic of flowers. Later on, among other types of Buddhist offering, placing mitsu gusoku became popular in the Kamakura (1185–1333) and Nanboku chō periods (1336–1392). With the development of the shoin zukuri architectural style starting in the Muromachi period (1336–1573), kakemono (scroll pictures) and containers could be suitable displayed as art objects in the oshiita, a precursor to the tokonoma alcove, and the chigaidana, two levelled shelves. Also displayed in these spaces were flower arrangements in vases that influenced the interior decorations, which became simpler and more exquisite over time. The set of three ceremonial objects at the Buddhist altar called mitsugusoku consisted of candles lit in holders, a censer, and flowers in a vase. The flowers in the vase were arranged in the earliest style called tatebana or , and were composed of shin (motoki) and shitakusa. Recent historical research now indicates that the practice of tatebana derived from a combination of belief systems, including Buddhist, and the Shinto yorishiro belief is most likely the origin of the Japanese practice of modern ikebana. Together, they form the basis for the original, purely Japanese derivation of the practice of ikebana. The art of flower arranging developed with many schools only coming into existence at the end of the 15thcentury following a period of the civil war. The eighth shōgun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436–1490), was a patron of the arts and the greatest promoter of cha no yu – tea ceremony – and ikebana, flower arrangement. Yoshimasa would later abdicate his position to devote his time to the arts, and developed concepts that would then go on to contribute to the formulation of rules in ikebana; one of the most important being that flowers offered on all ceremonial occasions, and placed as offerings before the gods, should not be offered loosely, but should represent time and thought. Princess Takamado is the honorary president.

Followers and practitioners of ikebana, also referred to as kadō, are known as (華道家). A kadō teacher is called (先生). Noted Japanese practitioners include Junichi Kakizaki, Mokichi Okada, and Yuki Tsuji. At a March 2015 TEDx in Shimizu, Shizuoka, Tsuji elaborated on the relationship of ikebana to beauty. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan, noted ikebana practitioner Toshiro Kawase began posting images of his arrangements online every day in a project called "One Day, One Flower." Another practitioner is the Hollywood actress Marcia Gay Harden, who started when she was living in Japan as a child, and has published a book on ikebana with her own works. Her mother, Beverly Harden, was a practitioner of the Sōgetsu school. She later became also president of the Ikebana International Washington, DC chapter.

Since flower arrangement arrived in Japan from China together with Buddhism, it was naturally imbued with Buddhist philosophy. The Buddhist desire to preserve life lies at the root of much of ikebana practice, and has created most of the rules of flower arrangement, controlling also the shapes of the flower vases, formed as to help to prolong the life of the flowers. Consideration of the vase as being something more than a mere holder of the flowers is also an important consideration. The surface of the water is always exposed, alongside the surface of the earth from which the grouping of flowers springs. This aids in creating the effect of representing a complete plant growing as nearly as possible in its natural conditions.

Ikebana in the beginning was very simple, constructed from only a very few stems of flowers and evergreen branches. This first form of ikebana was called (供華). Patterns and styles evolved, and by the late 15thcentury arrangements were common enough to be appreciated by ordinary people and not only by the imperial family and its retainers, styles of ikebana having changed during that time, transforming the practice into an art form with fixed instructions. Books were written about the art, Sedensho being the oldest of these, covering the years 1443 to 1536. Ikebana became a major part of traditional festivals, and exhibitions were occasionally held. The first styles were characterised by a tall, upright central stem accompanied by two shorter stems. During the Momoyama period, 1560–1600, a number of splendid castles were constructed, with noblemen and royal retainers making large, decorative rikka floral arrangements that were considered appropriate decoration for castles. Many beautiful ikebana arrangements were used as decoration for castles during the Momoyama period, and were also used for celebratory reasons. The ; style was developed as a Buddhist expression of the beauty of landscapes in nature. Key to this style are nine branches that represent elements of nature. One of rikka arrangement styles is called
When the tea ceremony emerged, another style was introduced for tea ceremony rooms called chabana. This style is the opposite of the Momoyama style and emphasises rustic simplicity. Chabana is not considered a style of ikebana but is separate. The simplicity of chabana in turn helped create the nageirebana or style. is a non structured design which led to the development of the seika or shoka style. It is characterised by a tight bundle of stems that form a triangular three branched asymmetrical arrangement that was considered classic. It is also known by the short form nageire. style consists of only three main parts, known in some schools as ten , chi , and jin It is a simple style that is designed to show the beauty and uniqueness of the plant itself. Formalisation of the nageire style for use in the Japanese alcove resulted in the formal shoka style. In , flowers are arranged in a shallow vase or suiban, compote vessel, or basket, and secured on a kenzan or pointed needle holders, also known as metal frogs. In the style, creative design of flower arranging is emphasised, with any material permissible for use, including non flower materials. In the 20th century, with the advent of modernism, the three schools of ikebana partially gave way to what is commonly known in Japan as "Free Style". Kyoto Ikebana artist Hayato Nishiyama says he enjoys designs with just a single flower, "to help people concentrate, to help them focus on seeing the beauty of an individual."

The receptacles used in flower arranging come in a large variety. They are traditionally considered not only beautiful in form, material, and design but are made to suit the use to which they will be put, so that a flower can always be placed in an appropriate receptacle, and probably in one especially designed for that particular sort of flower. The thing the Japanese most seek in a vase's shape is what will best prolong the life of flowers. For this reason, vases are wide open at the mouth, for, unlike in Western flower arranging, they do not depend upon the vase itself to hold flowers in position, believing that the oxygen entering through the neck opening is as necessary to the plant as the oxygen it receives directly from the water; thus, the water remains sweet much longer than in small necked vases. The shōjo manga Zig Zag focuses on a boy named Takaaki Asakura (nicknamed "Taiyou" (the sun)) and his affection for flowers. In Girls und Panzer one of the main protagonists Isuzu Hana's central theme and hobby is ikebana. She combines her passion for it with tanks. A limited special edition vase in the shape of a tank was made by a Kasama ware kiln that was seen in the anime. In 1957 the film director and grand master of the Sōgetsu ryū school of Ikebana Hiroshi Teshigahara made the movie titled Ikebana, which describes his school. Flower and Sword, released in 2017, tells the story of the development of ikebana during the Sengoku period in the 16thcentury. Directed by Tetsuo Shinohara, it was based on a novel by Tadashi Onitsuka. Masters and their assistants of the Ikenobō school were involved in creating the various rikka, shoka, and suna no mono arrangements for the movie.