Hello all! Now I cannot profess to know very much about Ikebana, but it is one of my wife Yoko’s favorite hobbies and she is surprisingly intuitive and talented for it. Sagagoryu is the type of Ikebana Yoko has studied at length as a hobby, but anyone even remotely knowledgable on the subject can tell you that there are practicaly an uncountable number of Ikebana methods out there. Ikenoboh, Ogasawraryu and Omuroryu are three other major types commonly studied as a hobby, but again that is just scratching the surface.
For those interested in a professional look at Ikebana from a historical perspective, Kyoto Gosho has among the most magnificent displays in Kansai. It is a must-see for anyone, whether tourist or local citizen. Kyoto Gosho exhibits very famous national Ikebana displays, some of which even have a destinction of Important Cultural Property, then so do the masters that created them.
Kyoto Gosho is normally open twice a year, once in the spring to coincide with the cherry blossom bloom, and again in the fall to take advantage of the leaves changing color. Crowds can be quite severe during this time and it is strongly recommended to get there first! There is no place to park and I really would not recommend putting this under my ‘Driving in Japan’ theme for that reason. Just take the Hankyu and get off at Karasuma, or better yet change to the subway or Kintetsu and get off at Marutamachi.
Kyoyo Gosho will be open for about a week near the end of October, exact dates TBA so watch the entertainment guides closely.
Martin Werner Zander, Partner in the Smith’s School of English Company
マーティン・ワーナー・ザンダー
Owner, Smith’s School Franchise Kotoen
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