The History of the Ryusei-ha

In 1886 the Ryusei-ha School was founded in Tokyo, which was the scene of a rapidly evolving new culture. Its founder and first Head Master was Yoshimura Kaun, then aged 27. His successor, Yoshimura Kakyu, added the soka and heika styles to the original rikka and seika and consolidated the foundations of the modern school. In the third generation, the present Head Master, Yoshimura Kasen, proposed the “faces of plants” methodology at a time when free experimentation and avant-garde trends were flourishing during the postwar revival. The School’s activities today are grounded in this approach, which seeks to rediscover the essential vitality of plants and express it in arrangements. In 2006, Ryusei-ha marked its 120th anniversary.

The Origin of the Name “Ryusei” and the School’s Dragon Crest

As the first Head Master was born in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, the character ryu (dragon) comes from the name Ryugajo (“Dragon Castle”), an alternative name for Okazaki Castle, the birthplace of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.