Fodor's Expert Review Sogetsu Ikebana School
The schools of ikebana (flower arranging), like those of other traditional arts, are highly stratified organizations. Students rise through levels of proficiency, paying handsomely for lessons and certifications as they go, until they can become teachers themselves. At the top of the hierarchy is the iemoto, the head of the school, a title usually held within a family for generations. The Sogetsu school of flower arrangement is a relative newcomer to all this. It was founded by Sofu Teshigahara in 1927, and, compared to the older schools, it espouses a style flamboyant, free-form, and even radical. Two-hour introductory lessons in flower arrangement are given in English on most Mondays (except national holidays). Some classes in Japanese have an English-speaking assistant. They also host shorter classes for travelers. Reservations must be made in advance. A rock garden in the Sogetsu Kaikan, created by the late Isamu Noguchi, one of the masters of modern sculpture, is worth... READ MORE
The schools of ikebana (flower arranging), like those of other traditional arts, are highly stratified organizations. Students rise through levels of proficiency, paying handsomely for lessons and certifications as they go, until they can become teachers themselves. At the top of the hierarchy is the iemoto, the head of the school, a title usually held within a family for generations. The Sogetsu school of flower arrangement is a relative newcomer to all this. It was founded by Sofu Teshigahara in 1927, and, compared to the older schools, it espouses a style flamboyant, free-form, and even radical. Two-hour introductory lessons in flower arrangement are given in English on most Mondays (except national holidays). Some classes in Japanese have an English-speaking assistant. They also host shorter classes for travelers. Reservations must be made in advance. A rock garden in the Sogetsu Kaikan, created by the late Isamu Noguchi, one of the masters of modern sculpture, is worth a visit. Additionally, the school holds rotating ikebana exhibitions throughout the year and has a shop on the 4th floor. Sogetsu Kaikan is a 10-minute walk west on Aoyama-dori from the Akasaka-mitsuke intersection or east from the Aoyama-itchome subway stop.
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