An ikebana lesson in Kyoto

What it is

Ikebana is the Japanese art of arranging flowers, branches and leaves. It grew out of flower offerings made at Buddhist altars. The oldest school, Ikenobo, traces its origin to the priests of Rokkaku-do, a small six-sided temple in central Kyoto, and still has its headquarters beside it. Several teachers and schools in the city give short lessons to visitors. You are handed a shallow dish, a kenzan (a heavy pin holder) and a few seasonal stems, and learn how line, space and the angle of each stem matter more than the number of flowers. You leave seeing arrangements in shop windows differently.

Before you go

• Book ahead and say if you need the lesson in English.
• A first lesson takes about an hour to ninety minutes.
• Visit Rokkaku-do before or after. It is a few minutes from Karasuma Oike station.

The flowers you will see

ChrysanthemumAutumn-blooming flower with thousands of varieties, cherished in East Asia and beyond

Also part of it, and being written: Iris laevigata, Camellia japonica, Prunus mume.

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IkebanaThe Japanese art of arranging flowers with form and meaning

More in Kyoto

🇯🇵 Kyoto · Mar to AprPhilosopher's Path in cherry seasonA canal-side walk of about two kilometres in eastern Kyoto, lined with cherry trees. 🇯🇵 Tokyo · Mar to AprCherry blossom season in TokyoAbout a week of pale pink along moats, rivers and parks, and the picnics that go with it. 🇯🇵 Tokyo · Feb to NovShinjuku Gyoen through the seasonsA large former imperial garden in central Tokyo with a long cherry season and an autumn chrysanthemum show. 🇯🇵 Hirosaki · Apr to MayHirosaki Castle cherry blossomA northern castle park with thousands of cherry trees and moats that turn pink with fallen petals. 🇯🇵 Hitachinaka · Apr to OctNemophila hill at Hitachi Seaside ParkA hill by the Pacific covered in small sky-blue flowers in spring and red kochia bushes in autumn. 🇯🇵 Ashikaga · Apr to MayWisteria at Ashikaga Flower ParkVast old wisteria vines trained over trellises, with flower trails hanging to head height.