The Advantages and Disadvantages of Digitalization

Regarding this app’s core feature—“experiencing ikebana in 3D”—I paused and reconsidered it many times since development began. While digital technology certainly has its limitations, I believe it holds immense significance that more than compensates for them.

Benefits ― The Role of Lowering the Barrier

The biggest point is, without a doubt, that it “lowers the barrier.” To start ikebana, you first need the desire to “give it a try.” Then you search for a class, go for an observation or trial session, and finally take that first step. However, along the way, perceptions like “it seems difficult,” “it seems expensive,” or “getting the tools together seems like a hassle” often stand in the way like walls. Frankly, I suspect most people with interest end up giving up right there.

To be honest, I used to be one of them. My understanding of ikebana was limited to “it’s one of Japan’s traditional arts,” and I had this strong image of it being old-fashioned and rigid. So, I just assumed it wasn’t for me and never had any opportunity to try it. I think there are still many people like that today.

But what if, while casually browsing a smartphone app store, you stumbled upon “Ikebana Lab” and could download it effortlessly? Opening the app, you could first enjoy browsing others’ creations, then easily select flowers and try arranging them yourself. Furthermore, if you could use AR to display it in your room and think, “Oh, this looks surprisingly good,” that alone could spark the feeling of “Maybe I’ll give it a try.”

Through experiences like this, I can lower the barrier to entering the world of ikebana, even just a little. I feel this is the app’s most significant role.

Of course, those who want to learn more seriously later can find a real classroom or study with a teacher. Digital is only the entry point. But having that entry point could increase the number of people practicing ikebana, helping Japanese tradition connect with the next generation. I’d be thrilled if I could create that kind of flow.

Beyond that, there are many “advantages unique to digital.” You can freely choose floral materials and containers, use any flower regardless of season, instantly redo mistakes, and duplicate your work. With a tap, you can flip it horizontally and change the natural or reversed orientation directly from the floral material itself. These conveniences are absolutely impossible in reality.

Furthermore, experimenting with new expressions using free color palettes might spark fresh ideas even for those already studying ikebana or for instructors.

While there are various other benefits, ultimately the most important thing is providing even a small opportunity for people who, like my former self, never had a chance to experience ikebana. I believe that’s where new doors begin to open.

Disadvantages ― The Irreproducible Reality

On the other hand, digital has its inherent limitations.

For example, in actual ikebana, you can freely cut or bend stems, but this isn’t possible with 3D data. While we’ve made it possible to adjust lengths within predetermined ranges, it falls far short of the freedom offered by the real thing. The use of the kenzan (flower frog) and the handling of water arrangements also inevitably differ from reality.

Furthermore, true ikebana begins with selecting materials. The process starts by observing flowers at the market or sometimes gathering branches and grass from nature, discerning the season and condition before deciding, “I’ll use these today.” However, apps cannot replicate this experience; you simply choose from pre-made models.

Even more challenging is expressing the passage of time. It’s precisely because they are living flowers that they bloom further or wither, changing over time, and this very transience becomes part of the work’s charm. But digitally, they remain in a constant state, and incorporating that change is difficult with the current technology.

Moreover, there are limits to the realism achievable with 3D models. The more realism you pursue, the more data size and cost increase, making it unplayable on smartphones. Therefore, the constant task is deciding “how realistically to render it” and “where to draw the line.” A professional modeler advised me, “If the goal is accessibility, some stylization is perfectly acceptable,” and I found this to be true.

The greatest challenge, however, lies in recreating the “expression” of the flower itself. Real flowers and branches grow in unique environments, each possessing its own character and expression. Considering “how to make this flower shine most beautifully” is one of the charms of ikebana.

However, in digital work, duplicating a model results in identical expressions across all instances. While color can be altered, the authentic charm of each stem being unique remains irreproducible. In Ikenobo’s shoka philosophy, there’s the concept of “bringing out the innate character” (shussei o ikasu), but translating this into digital form remains challenging at present.

In the future, I hope to enable “variations in expression” even with the same floral materials, but this remains at the idea stage. Ultimately, I simply cannot surpass the real thing. That’s precisely why I believe I need to accept the reality of “not competing with the real thing.”

Not Trying to Outdo the Real Thing

Ultimately, I cannot match the real thing, nor should I try to compete with it.

Digital is merely a means to “broaden the entry point.” A means to test ideas. It’s not a substitute for the real thing, but rather an entity that creates opportunities to engage with it.

While I shouldn’t compete, I’ve developed models aiming to strike a balance: requiring a sense of realism at the idea-testing level, and maintaining enough realism to serve as an entry point.

That’s precisely why I maximize the unique benefits only digital can offer to increase interest in ikebana. This is what I envision for “Ikebana Lab.”