CT: You specialize in ikebana. Can you explain what ikebana is for those of us who aren’t familiar?
SS: Ikebana is Japanese flower arranging. It is difficult to identify the true origins of ikebana, but it is believed to have stemmed from offering flowers to Buddha, a custom which developed into the art of ikebana. I like to compare it to a painting. While a painting is an expression of art drawn on a canvas with a brush, ikebana is an expression in three dimensions composed of plant material arranged in a vase. For me, ikebana is a way of life, an artistic way to enrich the mode of your life and the concept of your environment, with the help of all the forms of plant life.
CT: How did you get your start in ikebana, in particular your school of Sogetsu?
SS: In 1957, as a very young girl, I began to study ikebana in my hometown of Kumamoto, Japan. I received my teacher's diploma from the Sogetsu School of Ikebana in 1961, just prior to coming to the United States. I now hold the title of riji, the highest rank of the Sogetsu School.
During the Meiji era, the government adopted ikebana as a part of curriculum for a girl’s education. It was regarded as a necessary social grace for the young women of Japan before marriage. So what initially started as bridal training to become a good wife has now become a deep passion and way of life for me.
CT: Wow, that is fascinating! It is my understanding that there are more than 1,000 different schools of ikebana. Can you explain the difference between Sogetsu and the other schools of ikebana?
SS: The Sogetsu School was established in 1927 by the late iemoto (headmaster), Sofu Teshigahara. The primary concept for the Sogetsu School is that it can be created anytime, anywhere, by anyone in any part of the world, using any kind of material. Sogetsu is deeply rooted in Japanese tradition, but also has a modern twist.
There are virtually innumerable schools of ikebana in Japan, but of all of them, I believe Sogetsu is the most creative and the best anywhere in the world. Plants are the products of Mother Nature, but the basic principle of Sogetsu is “Ikebana reflects the person who arranged it.” Sogetsu has a strong emphasis on individual expression. Natural materials are often used in unexpected and creative ways.
Sogetsu doesn’t have any strict rules like some other classic ikebana schools. Students of Sogetsu have the joy of expressing themselves with plants. In Sogetsu, students carefully look at the plants, discover their beauty, and enjoy the pleasure of self-expression through their own arrangement.
