Ohara Moribana and Landscape Styles
Ohara has been on the forefront of ikebana innovation since its founding 1895, stressing the use of natural materials in harmony with the arrangement’s container and site selected for display.
Other Innovations
First Headmaster Unshin Ohara developed the entirely new form of ikebana called Moribana or “piled up” flowers that composed flowers across a flat plane in low containers which was completely revolutionary at the time. In addition, Unshin also developed the Landscape style which used natural materials for specific regions and seasons to create “sketches” of natural scenes.
The Second Headmaster, Koun Ohara, established Moribana as a formal style, and systematized the teaching of Ohara Ikebana throughout Japan, including teaching on the radio. The Third Headmaster, Houn Ohara, created the styles called Bunjin and Rimpa, which are based on the intellectual thoughts and painting of the Chinese literati and the Japanese Rimpa School, respectively.
The Fourth Headmaster, Natsuki Ohara, developed the original forms of ikebana called Hana-mai and Hana-isho, to suit the modern environments in which people live and work. In 1995, Ms. Wakako Ohara became Acting Headmistress until Fifth Headmaster Hiroki Ohara graduated from the University. Now he is active in ikebana and held his first solo-exhibition in March 2012.
The Ohara School’s main offices are in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe. It has 160 chapters in Japan, and 57 chapters outside Japan. Worldwide, there are nearly 130,000 Ohara teachers and over one million students in Japan.