Ikebana International is a worldwide organization founded in Tokyo in 1956 and has today over 6.000 members in 138 chapters in 50 countries all over the world. The aim of Ikebana International is to promote cultural dialogue between Japan and other countries.
The administration of Ikebana International is in the hands of dedicated volunteers and Ikebana Schools, whose diversity is linked to the common root of inspiration, style, philosophy and history of floral art.

Regional conferences are held all over the world. Members can attend these as well as the World Congress, which takes place every five years in Japan. Membership is open to everyone interested in the art of flower arranging, regardless of one´s previous knowledge. A regular magazine informs members about new trends and activities of Ikebana International and connects the members of this global organization under the motto:
„Friendship through Flowers”

Ikebana is the classical Japanese art of flower-arrangement. Its aim is to emphasize the beauty of flowers, leaves, and branches, therebye finding mental concentration, tranquility, and harmony. The plants show out of themselves the vital, swift change of the blooming of buds. Change can be observed in the arrangement or it becomes itself theme like the atmosphere in autumn.

The arrangement is inner nature evoking the atmosphere of a season, the character of a landscape, and the feelings of the artist. It is not a matter of plenty but of the beauty of each single flower. Concentrating on the little, essential here and now is the mental-meditative aspect of ikebana. Furthermore, the variation of ikebana itself reflects, as other forms of art do, the variations of the way of thinking and of the life-style of our time.

The history of ikebana is not considered to be a course of evolution from a religious tradition to art. Rather, origin and aim of ikebana, the “vigorous life of the flower” is a subtle claim to aesthetics with metaphysical profundity of living being.

Probably it was the fascination that flowers were not only subject of passion for beauty penetrating the aristocratic court´s life in Kyoto, headquarter of the Emperor. Flowers were also considered to be part of poetic and artistic awareness. It is said that the Emperor himself and the aristocratic court “fixed” (sasu) flowers in vases. At court flower competitions had been organized since the 12^th century.

Nowadays historical research does not trace the origin of ikebana exclusively to the “offertory flowers” (kuge) in Buddhist monasteries. Its focus lies on the pre-sixteenth century Muromachi period (named after a district in Kyoto; residence of the Ashikaga shōgunate 1336-1573). As indication of the starting point of the ikebana tradition in this period can be considered the Buddhist rikka style 立華, i.e. the formally correct “standing flower” arrangement in vases. The emphasis shifted from the sensual perception of color and perfume of the petals alone to the entire flower with stem and leaves.

The methods of stabilization flowers in a vase and the efforts to “stand upright” (tateru) led to the beginning of the flower arrangement tatehana 立華. Experience had shown that bundles of rice straw stuffed into the vase were very efficient. Hence, by the sixteenth century the gorgeous rikka style developed being arranged after strict rules by Buddhist monks and shōgunal attendants, experts for arts (who were partially monastic and secular). The later were especially distinguished by their knowlegde of etiquette in the residence´s reception hall.

By the mid-fifteenth century such a monk from the “Ikenobō” hermitage received preference by the military rulers. Under the patronage of the aristocracy the Ikenobō master Senkei and his successors predominated over all other schools.

From the cultural center the imperial flower arrangement of Ikenobō were spread to the regions. Thus “Standing flowers” continued being practiced from generation to generation. The teaching of the Ikenobō tatehana was orally transferred from master to student. In the course of time the works of prominent masters were passed on as drawings with commentaries.

The Ōnin War (1467-1568) marked a socio-cultural, political break and shift of power.

In the Muromachi period the roles of host and guest were defined anew in the tea ceremony under the influence of the Zen-Buddhism, a unique encounter to experience humanity. According to the philosophical essence of  „nageire” flowers, a free informal style without rules expressed the rejection of precious vases and elitist purposes, modesty instead of materialism. Later the flowers for the Zen-Buddhist tea ceremony nageire hana were named chabana.

The architectonic requirement for the development of the art of flower arrangement was the alcove wall oshi-ita in the formal reception room in domestic architecture and the tokonoma alcove in tea-houses. From the 20^th century onward ikebana has been detached from the tokonoma of the traditional Japanese living room. Since the late 1950s ikebana has become an avantgarde movement. Contempory ikebana has found new spaces for its representation like stages and open sites and reflects the ideas and intention of the artist addressing to the spectator. Not only during the ikebana performance the act of arranging is more important than the finished work of art being short-lived anyway. Ikebana has been enriched over centuries with contents, aesthetic knowledge and skill being conveyed – unlike other artforms – with living nature. With/Practicing ikebana you actively bring the actual philosophy to life at this very moment in this common space.

The secret of success of spreading ikebana-schools all over the world is indeed the joy in creative assembling without limit thanks to nature´s abundance, and the merry-making experience of beauty and harmony.