We all know that Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, originates from Japan. Therefore, the terms used in Ikebana come from Japanese words.

Almost all the time, we come across words related to Ikebana and have no idea what they mean. Here, I have collected a few high-frequency words and briefly explained their meaning.

Hope it provides you with a good reference to improve your knowledge in Ikebana.

Ikebana – ‘Ike’ means alive and ‘bana’ means flower, which translates to live flowers. It is the art of Japanese flower arrangement. Its most significant feature is the combination of materials in their most natural state to show harmony.

Moribana – It is one of the basic styles of Ikebana. Usually use a shallow container and a kenzan for flower insertion. Two basic styles of moribana are known, the upright style and the sloping style.

Swimming – Another basic Ikebana style. It uses a tall container and needs special techniques to make the arrangement. Also with two basic styles, the vertical style and the slanted style.

Kakeizu – A diagram showing the position and angle of the flowers and foliage in an Ikebana arrangement.

Kenzan – It is only used in moribana arrangements, it is a piece of metal with pointed needles. Used to insert floral materials and hold them in place. It is placed in a suiban, and the position is fixed, according to the moribana style.

Suiban – A suiban is a shallow container, used in moribana arrangements.

shin – One of the three main stems in an Ikebana arrangement. Shin is the longest.

Soe – One of the three main stems in an Ikebana arrangement. Soe is the second longest.

Hikae – One of the three main stems in an Ikebana arrangement. Hikae is the shortest.

Shushi – The three main stems are called Shushi. They represent the height, width and depth of an ikebana arrangement.

Juushi – The supporting stems of the main stems are called juushi. Each main stem has its own supporting stem, although not necessarily the case, it depends on how strong the main stem is. They should not be longer than their respective teacher.

Jumonji dome – A technique used in nageire, to hold the flowers in place by making a cross with sturdy branches at the mouth of the vase. Also known as a crossbar attachment.

Jika-dome – A technique used in nageire, a method of inserting the flowers into the vase by cutting the end of the stem so that it rests on the inside wall of the container. Also known as direct fixation.

Soegi-dome – A technique used in nageire, to hold the flowers in place by providing additional length to the flower material by dividing the end of the stem in 2.