About the Senke School

The Senke School was originated by Sen-no-Rikyu (1521-1591) who was the most famous master of the tea ceremony in Japanese history. Perhaps most known as the influential advocate of the Japanese wabi-sabi way of life, Sen-no-Rikyu had great influence on the aesthetics and culture of Japan during his time. Warlords revered Sen-no-Rikyu as the cultural advisor and visited Sen-no-Rikyu's tea room to learn his way of an elevated lifestyle. As part of the tea ceremony, he promoted the minimalistic display of flowers and plants over ornate and valuable vases and paintings.

Sen-no-Rikyu created a new style of flower arrangement that was better fit for his way of tea ceremony and originated new types of bamboo vases. As an example of his simplistic way of life, he carried with him and his journeys a new devised simple vase called "tabi-makura" (travel-pillow). The vase served a double purpose. When he rested he used it as a pillow. When he came upon beautiful flowers he stopped and made an arrangement in it.
Sen-no-Rikyu remained a legendary cultural and aesthetics figure even after his death and schools for tea ceremony and flower arrangements emerged to preserve his teachings and design principles for the future generations. Almost two centuries later, Shotei, another great master of the Senke School of ikebana (Flower Arrangement), introduced important changes in both style and containers. He called the new development the Senke Shotei, and the principles laid down were called Sen-no-Shotei style of flower arrangement. The principles laid down by Sen-no-Rikyu with the improvements made by Shotei are still followed today at The Senke School of Ikebana | Japanese Flower Arrangement.

Shotei journeyed from Kyoto to Akita in northern Japan in the Temmei period (1781-1788). He remained there and taught his principles. One of his students, Hyakkaen Kensho, was so interested and enthusiastic that Shotei transmitted to him the "ishidenshin", the basic concepts of the art of the flower arrangement. Hyakkaen Kensho thus received the authority of the founder of the Senke-Shotei style. He then transferred his authority to Kagyubo Ippyo, whose successor was Shososai Yamada Okyo.

In 1901 Kane Shoji (nee Nagase) became a student under Shososai Yamada Okyo. She was promoted from "kyoju" (instructor) to "shihan" (advanced instructor) by the iemoto (headmaster | flower master). Her flower name, bestowed on her for outstanding achievement was Shosetsusai Shoji Osen. Kane Shoji came to the United States in 1921, and in 1922 opened the Senke School of Japanese Flower Arrangement in Seattle, Washington where she continued her teaching. Mrs. Shoji became the iemoto of the Senke School in 1939 after the death of Yamada Okyo who had left instructions that she succeed him. Unlike many other ikebana school in Japan, Senke School traditionally has chosen the iemoto (headmaster | flower master) solely on merit. Her succession was recommended by all the students of the late master and was authorized by Mr. Yonezo Yamada, the heir of the Yamada Family.

While Kane Shoji taught the original Senke-Shotei style, she also developed and founded a new style called Senke-Shoji Style Moribana. During World War II Kane Shoji was relocated to Hunt Idaho internment camp, where she continued her teachings until her return to Seattle in 1945. In the years that followed Branch Schools of the Senke School were opened in Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.

In 1964 upon the death of Kane Shoji, the title of Iemoto of the Senke School of Ikebana | Japanese Flower Arrangement was bestowed upon her daughter, Elizabeth Hanako Shoji Slee. Mrs. Slee's appointment as the iemoto was requested by Kane Shoji prior to her death. The Senke School maintains its headquarters in Seattle, Washington.