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Ikebana
Ikebana, or the art of flower arrangement, began in Kyoto in the Muromachi period. It was initially called "tatebana" (make flowers stand up) consisting of flowers for religious offerings or room decorations. Before long, however, it began to take on complex configurations, and came to be called "rikka."
The popularity of rikka spread in the Edo period with the growth of the merchant class and spread throughout Japan from Kyoto. A form of flower arrangement called "nagaire" appropriate for cottages or small rooms also became popular, but this too developed into a form called "seika" consisting of three basic sprays.
In addition to seika, many schools sprang up in the middle Edo period each emphasizing its own approach or philosophy.
In the Meiji era, flower arrangement became integrated into everyday life especially as a part of young people's education, and today, modern ikebana, which devel oped from "nagaire" and "moribana," has become widely used in shop displays,on the theater stage, and elsewhere. Kyoto is still a center of ikebana where many masters of the art live.
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