Kozan Okada I was an Ikenobo's master whose artistry was recognized by invitations to arrange ceremonial RIKKA and SEIKA before the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa emperors. He created the first free-style NAGEIRE arrangements in 1910, and founded his own school to promote his heretical free styles in which materials were arranged naturally, according to the characteristics of each plant.

The school's precept is "Arrange plum trees like plum trees, and peach trees like peach trees." In other words, the natural shape of a branch, rather than a specific rule or form, should be the primary concern in arranging the material.

The current headmistress of the school is Kozan Okada IV, the great-granddaughter of the school's founder. She says, "You must know the characteristics and role of each plant. Know the 'heart' of the plant, and the form will reveal itself." Many of her arrangements feature wildflowers.

Students of Kozan School are required to be able to identify the names, species, and features of hundreds of wild flowers and plants. They study each plant's natural characteristics and look for its salient point -- the shape of the leaves, the color, the delicacy of a single flower, or the effect of a cluster.

KOZAN SCHOOL
2-32-2 Wakabayashi, Setagaya-ku
Tokyo 154-0023, Japan
Telephone:  03-3413-4162
Website: http://www.kozan-ryu-ikebana.net