Sogetsu Ottawa Branch
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Sogetsu ikebana is a modern style of Japanese floral art.
In 1927, when everyone believed practising ikebana meant following established forms, Sofu Teshigahara recognized ikebana as a creative art and founded the Sogetsu School. Its motto is “anytime, anywhere, by anyone.”
Sogetsu Ottawa began in the 1980s as Seibi-Kai Study Group under the guidance of Mrs. Mieko Watanabe. Mrs. Watanabe is the founder of Sogetsu Ikebana in Ottawa. In November 1996, Seibi-Kai Study Group’s status changed to Sogetsu Ottawa Branch.
Since its inception, the Sogetsu Ottawa Branch has participated in ikebana exhibitions and other cultural events in Ottawa. It continues to organize regular workshops for Sogetsu Ottawa Branch members with local and internationally renowned ikebana teachers, including master instructors from Sogetsu Headquarters in Japan.
A not-for-profit organization, Sogetsu Ottawa Branch is affiliated with Sogetsu Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan.
2021 is the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Branch.
Mrs. Mieko Watanabe’s arrangement at Ikebana International Exhibition in Ottawa.
“Ikebana is born from the encounter of nature and humans; it is the coming together of nature and human life.”
— Kadensho - The Book of Flowers by Sofu Teshigahara,
Sogetsu Bunkajigyo Co., Ltd., 1979, p. 52.
“Flowers come from nature, but one uses nature to express something personal. […] One takes a piece of nature and adds something that wasn’t there. This is what creation in ikebana means.”
— Kadensho - The Book of Flowers by Sofu Teshigahara,
Sogetsu Bunkajigyo Co., Ltd., 1979, pp. 19-20.