he Sogetsu School was established by the late Sofu Teshigahara (1900-1979) in 1927. Sofu liberated Ikebana from the shackles of the past.

Sofu developed his school to be deeply rooted in Japanese tradition yet meeting the requirements of the modern age. Modern Ikebana today owes much to Sofu Teshigahara.

In the Sogetsu School, anything may be used as material and displayed anywhere, in any circumstances. Though deeply rooted in Japanese tradition, all sorts of materials are used in addition to fresh plants and flowers like withered branches, roots, driftwood, iron, stone and cloth.

Kasumi (1933 - 1980), the daughter of and the successor to Sofu, started her career as an Ikebana artist after WWII. Her elegant, feminine, yet dynamic works charmed many enthusiasts of Ikebana. With a wide expressive range of colors, she performed many demonstrations, workshops and seminars to promote Sogetsu Ikebana.

Hiroshi Teshigahara, the son of Sofu and well-know as a film director, was the headmaster from (1980 - 2001).

His stance toward Ikebana is summed up in the phrase "three dimensional composition". He believed Ikebana should be a pleasant activity, and Ikebana arrangements should not blindly follow tradition but should meet contemporary requirements. He encouraged his students to explore all the possibilities of Ikebana.

The headquarters of the school is in the Akasaka district of Tokyo, Japan, in a building designed by the world famous Japanese architect Kenzo Tange.