Simple Ikebana Arrangements Beginners Should Try First

Many people who want to start ikebana wonder, “What kind of arrangement should I try first?” While freely arranging flowers is enjoyable, beginners are recommended to start with styles that have a certain degree of established “form.” The reason is that it makes it easier to learn the basics and naturally understand how to handle floral materials and their structure.

Why I Recommend Ikenobo’s Shoka Style

Among the many schools, I highly recommend Ikenobo’s Shoka style for beginners. Shoka is a style that symbolically expresses the natural form, based on the fundamental structure of three stems: the main stem (shin), the secondary stem (fuku), and the supporting stem (tai). Because the form is somewhat fixed, simply arranging the flowers according to this structure initially will naturally result in a piece that looks like a proper arrangement.

While free expression is appealing, without a foundation, beginners often feel lost about how to arrange. In contrast, Shoka teaches fundamentals like “flower orientation,” “length balance,” and “spatial arrangement” through its forms, making it exceptionally easy for beginners to learn.

Shoka has traditionally used representative floral materials. Here are a few that are easy for beginners to handle and form beautifully:

  • Halan (Japanese iris): A material that utilizes its broad leaves to express lines and planes. Simple yet ideal for learning the fundamentals of form.
  • Kakitsubata (Japanese water iris): Characterized by its slender stems and dignified blooms, it’s used to depict waterside scenes. Perfect for learning traditional Japanese aesthetics.
  • Ominae (Japanese anemone): Its delicate clusters of flowers and light, airy branches add movement and softness to arrangements.

Ikebana arrangements using these materials are classical yet simple and refined, highly recommended as a beginner’s first step.

Learning Through the App

Within the app, you can learn these ikebana styles in “Style Mode.” Style Mode guides you step-by-step through flower placement, allowing you to naturally grasp the fundamental structure of ikebana. Try creating arrangements using traditional materials like haran, kakitsubata, and onminae while actually working with your hands.

While I honestly recommend it partly because I personally love it, learning the forms of shobai is a crucial gateway to deeply understanding ikebana.

The charm of ikebana lies in its freedom of expression, but its foundation is built on fundamental forms. I believe the most reliable and enjoyable way for beginners to learn is to first master the basics through Ikenobo’s shobai, then expand from there into their own unique interpretations and expressions.