Melbourne Ikebana Festival, 29 and 30 August 2026ikebanafestival.com
Longing for AutumnShoso Shimbo's Solo Exhibition, Distilling Nature, Monash University, February 2013
Christmas Installation for the City of Ballarat, 2013An official servay found that Shoso's magical tunnel was the most popular among the people in the city.
BouquetsShoso's floral works are a special addition to your wedding or other special events.
Bridal BouquetsShoso specialises in fully wired bridal bouquets.

Wednesday, 22 March 2017

Monday, 20 March 2017

Thursday, 9 March 2017

Ikebana Today 56

By 22:44

It is actually convenient to explain that Ikebana is a spiritual training. However, how can we convince people of this, especially those outside Japan? How can we prove that creating Ikebana, which is observable is connected to a spiritual enhancement, which is hard to measure? It is probably safe to say that just like meditation or Zen training, accumulating the exercise of Ikebana will affect the human spirit positively. But how can we investigate this issue more scientifically or effectively?


First, a socio-psychological approach may work to some extent. Canadian researchers found that those practising Ikebana for more than 17 years are happier that those who are practicing it fewer years. That is a certainly a great starting point for our argument 1.


Secondly, it may be possible to describe the Ikebana experience using the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures, a well-known developmental model of Zen. The ten pictures represent ten stages of the spiritual path toward enlightenment. In the beginning, a boy gets a glimpse of the tail of an ox, which is a metaphor of enlightenment. Then he touches it and gradually tames it. Finally, something strange happens to the ox. If interested, please check for more details in the internet or books.


Probably it is possible to propose a developmental model of Ikebana training applying this Zen model. Although it is not easy, I think it is quite a promising approach.


However, I start to wonder why Zen? It is true that Japanese culture was influenced a lot by Zen Buddhism, but Zen is just one of the factors that affected Japanese culture. I think that describing Japanese culture only from a Zen point of view is wrong and needs to be reconsidered.


Typical Japanese art forms such as Ikebana, the tea ceremony and Noh plays were established during the Muromachi period. It is generally believed that the influence of Zen Buddhism had a strong influence on the rise of these art forms. Probably this comes from what history textbooks tell us about Zen and Japanese culture. However, I am a bit suspicious about accepting Japanese history from textbooks.


This is a table arrangement I made for a wedding reception. Our clients’ request was to use pink and burgundy as main colours. It was hard to find enough burgundy colour flowers in summer. But our clients were very happy with our works.


1. Shoso Shimbo, Ikebana in English: Bibliographical Essay, https://independent.academia.edu/ShosoShimbo
http://www.shoso.com.auhttps://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Monday, 6 March 2017

Tuesday, 28 February 2017

Thursday, 9 February 2017

Monday, 6 February 2017

Ikebana Today 55

By 23:22



Isn’t it more convenient to present Ikebana as a unique Japanese way of meditation or spiritual training rather than trying to understand it in the context of Western art and design?

Before I start to talk about that option, it is important to emphasise again the close relationship between Ikebana and Western art. The influence of western culture on Ikebana is significant. After the Meiji Restoration, firstly, certain styles of western flower arrangements were incorporated into Ikebana. Then, some ideas of Modern art inspired several artists to develop a free style Ikebana. The number of Ikebana practitioners increased significantly after the war, under the slogan, “Ikebana is art”.

However, there is a big difference in terms of the definition of art between Ikebana artists in Japan and contemporary western artists. Although this is an interesting topic to consider, we will think about it some other time.


Is it easy for Western people to understand that Ikebana is a spiritual training? The training in Ikebana largely consists of acquiring skills. However, remember that I mentioned that in Western art, skills are not always appreciated highly. Beautiful paintings by highly skilful painters are not always appreciated as highly valued art. Being simply beautiful is not necessarily artistic. Ikebana may be perceived as a beautiful popular folk craft rather than art, lacking sculptural qualities or concepts.

But in Japan Ikebana is more than a craft. It is recognised as a way of the flower, a spiritual training through acquiring skills. However, an important question is how acquiring skills is related to spiritual enhancement. While the former is something that can be measured, the latter is something more metaphysical. We will think about this difficult question in forthcoming issues.

The Ikebana work of this month is one I created for a clinical reception. Our service includes weekly flowers for offices etc.

In February my course, Ikebana to Contemporary art at RMIT Short Courses will start again and in March I will conduct an Ikebana introduction workshop at a Fitzroy library. If you want to try Ikebana near the city, consider these options. Learning Ikebana is a great way to meet new people.


http://www.shoso.com.auhttps://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Sunday, 5 February 2017

A short course at RMIT starting soon

By 16:54




Shoso teaches "Japanese Aesthetics: From Ikebana to Contemporary Art" at RMIT University Short Courses. It will be available for anyone (not just for RMIT students). This class will take participants on a journey to explore the theory of Japanese aesthetics through practical exercises. Next term will start from 15/2/2017. Please book early.
http://bit.ly/1IFmuyl

Students are required to read "A brief history of Ikebana" prior to the first lesson.
https://www.academia.edu/31231700/Chapter_2._A_Brief_History_of_Ikebana_Distilling_nature_some_connections_between_Ikebana_and_contemporary_art_2013_MFA_thesis_Faculty_of_Art_Design_and_Architecture_Monash_University

http://www.shoso.com.au 
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Saturday, 4 February 2017

Download Shoso's Ikebana Essays

By 15:46

Now you can read or download some of Shoso's published essays on Ikebana.
Downloadable files: https://independent.academia.edu/ShosoShimbo

 2015 Ikebana to Contemporary Art: Rosalie Gascoigne, The IAFOR Academic   
         Review, Vol.1, Issue 2, pp.16-20. 
2015  Ikebana in English: Bibliographical Essay, International Journal of Ikebana   
         Studies (IJIS), Vol.2, pp.99-107.
2013 Hiroshi Teshigahara in the Expanded Field of Ikebana, The  
         International Journal of Ikebana Studies (IJIS), Vol.1, p.31-52.

http://www.shoso.com.au
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Thursday, 2 February 2017

Thursday, 19 January 2017

Sunday, 15 January 2017

Daily Meditation: Ikebana in RMIT Short Courses

By 13:30

Shoso teaches "Japanese Aesthetics: From Ikebana to Contemporary Art" at RMIT University Short Courses. It will be available for anyone (not just for RMIT students). This class will take participants on a journey to explore the theory of Japanese aesthetics through practical exercises. Next term will start from 15/2/2017. Please book early.
http://bit.ly/1IFmuyl

http://www.shoso.com.auhttps://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Tuesday, 10 January 2017

Sunday, 8 January 2017

Thursday, 5 January 2017

Ikebana Today 54

By 18:46

In a collection of his works, Shunmyo Masuno, a garden designer and zen monk, states that creating gardens is a zen training. The important thing is to devote oneself to daily training. Great works can never be created by chance. Here is a philosophy of art in Japan. If you devote yourself to one thing and accomplish it, you can also accomplish your own life. Way or DO is unification of devotion and accomplished art. Art training is also regarded as a spiritual training. There is a belief that only virtuous persons can create great work of art.

Actually the belief of DO is everywhere in Japan, not just in art training such as Ikebana, but also in cooking, sports, management, academic work, manufacturing, cleaning etc. This is a very familiar notion for the Japanese.

In the previous issues, I tried to position Ikebana in the context of the Western art and questioned whether it is art or design. But I could not do it so easily. If I state that Ikebana is a spiritual training just like meditation or zen training, however, there would be little ambiguity. This may be a great way to introduce Ikebana to people outside Japan. Indeed, that’s exactly how Daisetsu Suzuki, a well known zen master, introduced Japanese culture to the West after the war.

During his visit to Melbourne last November, it appeared to me that Dr Inoue, associate professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design and the vice president of International Society of Ikebana Studies, also sees Ikebana in a similar way. I look forward to his future work, the philosophy of Ikebana after his publication of The Thought of Ikebana this year. His work would follow a great succession of well-known members of the Kyoto School of Philosophy including Shinichi Hisamatsu who wrote the book “The Philosophy of Tea”

I do agree that Ikebana is a form of DO. However, I don’t think that Ikebana can be explained completely in zen philosophy. Although I don’t intend to undermine the great works done by Daisetsu Suzuki and the Kyoto School of Philosophy, I will discuss my own views of Ikebana from the next issues.

This is a New Year’s arrangement I made for Koko restaurant in the Crown Hotel last year. I make new work every year. If you have a chance, please visit the restaurant to see it.

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