Ikebana Workshop: Mindful Side of Ikebana

The Power of Japanese Flowers


Shoso Shimbo
Shoso Shimbo
4.9 (84)

2 hours Location Murrumbeena Class size 1 to 16 (public classes), 2 to 40   $135 - $240 ($135 for Public Adult; $150 for Private Class; $240 for Public Pair)
Welcome Drink

Welcome Drink

Arrive and enjoy a welcome drink.


Garden Walk

Garden Walk

Wander through our Japanese garden as seen on ABC Gardening Australia.


Introduction to Ikebana

Introduction to Ikebana

Join Shoso in his private studio for an introduction to the history, philosophy, and fundamental principles of ikebana.


Mindfulness Through Ikebana

Mindfulness Through Ikebana

Shoso shares insights from his research into Ikebana and mindfulness, drawing on his co-authored paper “The Mindful Potential of Ikebana,” published in the International Journal of Ikebana Research (2025).


Demonstration

Demonstration

Watch as Shoso creates a seasonal arrangement, demonstrating key ikebana principles and sharing the thinking behind his creative choices.


Gathering Materials

Gathering Materials

Explore a selection of seasonal flowers, branches, and natural materials, choosing the elements that inspire you and speak to your own creative vision.


Creation

Creation

Create your own individual ikebana arrangement, incorporating some of the principles introduced during Shoso’s demonstration while developing your own personal expression.


Show and Tell

Show and Tell

If you wish, share your creation with the group and talk about the principles, ideas, or inspiration behind your arrangement.


Closing

Closing

Photograph your finished work in the studio or find your favourite setting in the garden for a memorable final image.


Our popular one-hour “Introduction to Ikebana Class” is a wonderful way to discover the basics of ikebana. This extended workshop, however, gives you more time to slow down, explore, and experience the mindful side of Ikebana.
What will you gain from the workshop?
1. Calm and re-energise: Step away from busy days and slow down in a tranquil garden. Enjoy a calming, mindful experience that helps you relax, reset and reconnect with yourself.
2. Discover your creativity: Learn the simple principles of Ikebana and Japanese aesthetics—balance, space, asymmetry and natural beauty—and use them to inspire your own creative practice.
3. See nature in a new way: Learn to look at nature through the eyes of an Ikebana artist. Notice the beauty, shape, movement and character of natural materials, and discover how connecting with nature can bring a sense of wellbeing.
4. Experience Japanese culture: Discover how Ikebana nurtures personal growth, mindfulness and respect for nature, while deepening your connection with the environment.
Connect with nature, experience a different culture and discover the beauty of Ikebana.
No experience is needed. You’ll create your own unique Ikebana artwork to take home, along with a new way of seeing nature and creativity.
Learn from Dr Shoso Shimbo, an award-winning Ikebana artist, sculptor and qualified Ikebana teacher, highly rated by participants with 4.9/5 from 83 ClassBento reviews.
Your Ikebana experience:
Tucked away on a quiet suburban street just 20 minutes from the city lies a hidden Japanese garden—an enchanting private sanctuary featured on ABC Gardening Australia.
Inspired by the mountain landscapes of his hometown in Niigata, Japan, award-winning contemporary Ikebana artist Dr Shoso Shimbo, the CEO of the Melbourne Ikebana Festival, has created a garden and studio where nature becomes a source of contemplation, creativity, and connection.
Your Ikebana experience begins with a welcome drink and time to explore this tranquil garden before entering Shoso’s private studio—an intimate space and an opportunity rarely available to the public.
Shoso will introduce you to the history, philosophy, and aesthetic principles of ikebana, revealing how simple flowers, branches, and natural materials can be transformed into expressive works of art.
You will also learn about the four Ikebana principles, which provide practical design strategies for creating harmony in an arrangement. Shoso formalised these principles during his nine years teaching a Japanese Aesthetics Short Course at RMIT and later developed the Online Ikebana Aesthetics Course at Ikebana Dojo.
Discover key strategies for cultivating mindfulness through the practice of ikebana. Shoso shares insights from his research exploring the relationship between ikebana and mindfulness, drawing on his co-authored paper, “The Mindful Potential of Ikebana, ” published in the International Journal of Ikebana Research (2025).
You’ll then create your own arrangement, selecting from a beautiful range of seasonal materials and discovering how to use form, balance, space, and movement to express your own individual style. As you work, you’ll experience the quiet mindfulness at the heart of ikebana: an invitation to slow down, observe nature, and find beauty in simplicity.
At the end of the experience, you’ll take home your own unique ikebana creation, along with a deeper appreciation of Japanese culture, design, and the relationship between nature and art. Before you leave, take a final stroll through the garden and photograph your arrangement in this beautiful and unexpected setting.
Seasonal themes:
Each experience explores a distinct seasonal theme, inspired by the ever-changing character of nature throughout the year. Across the series, four principles of Ikebana (Balance, Contrast, Movement and Pattern) and four fundamental elements (line, form, colour, and space) are introduced progressively, both individually and in combination.
Note:
  • For private classes, please send Request or visit our "Mindfulness through Ikebana" on ClassBento for more details.
  • The studio is located upstairs, so if you have difficulty with stairs, please talk to us before you book so we can make arrangements for you.
  • If you have an allergy to dogs or cats, please let us know.
  • After completing this workshop, you are welcome to enrol in one of our certificate courses to deepen your knowledge and further your study of ikebana.

Upcoming dates for Ikebana Workshop: Mindful Side of Ikebana

Times are Melbourne time. Dates and prices as of 13 Nov 2026, 6:30pm; availability and price are confirmed live when booking on this page.

3 upcoming dates between 28 Nov 2026 and 1 May 2027.

  • Sat 28 Nov 2026, 2pm-4pm
  • Sat 23 Jan 2027, 2pm-4pm
  • Sat 1 May 2027, 2pm-4pm
What you'll get
A completed Ikebana arrangement.
Knowledge required
Beginners welcome.
What to bring
No requirements.
Location

Murrumbeena, VIC

Exact location is masked for privacy. You'll automatically get the specific address after booking.

Ikebana Workshop: Mindful Side of Ikebana location
Your teacher

Shoso Shimbo
Shoso Shimbo

4.9 (84)

Shoso Shimbo, PhD
Ikebana Artist | Sculptor | Garden Designer | Shinto Priest
www.shoso.com.au
Dr. Shoso Shimbo is a certified Sogetsu Ikebana teacher with over 30 years of experience. He began his Ikebana journey in the 1980s in Hiroshi Teshigahara's Men's Only Class at the Sogetsu Headquarters in Tokyo, where he studied the distinctive principles and philosophy of the Sogetsu School. Since then, he has been dedicated to teaching and sharing the art and philosophy of Ikebana.
He is also an award-winning sculptor, garden designer, and Shinto priest active in both the contemporary art and floral design worlds. His numerous accolades include a Gold Award at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show.
Dr Shimbo frequently collaborates with local and international musicians, including Paul Grabowsky, Jessica Aszodi and the Gregorian Brothers, presenting live installation performances at the Melbourne Recital Centre and internationally in Vietnam.
In 2023, he was invited to participate in the National Gallery of Victoria’s (NGV) Bloom event. His floral art is regularly featured in International Floral Art by Stichting Kunstboek (Belgium).
As a leading figure in the community, Dr Shimbo is the CEO of the biennial Melbourne Ikebana Festival. He also founded Ikebana Dojo, an online learning platform, and the Ikebana Gallery Award, the world's first online international ikebana competition.
His sculptural work has been exhibited in major national contemporary art events, and in 2017, he was awarded the Arnold Bloch Leibler Prize at the Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition. He was commissioned to create a public art installation for the Archibald Prize Exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, and after the bushfires in 2016, he created the Wye River Project as part of Lorne Sculpture.
Dr Shimbo has published extensively with internationally recognised organisations and publishers, including Springer and UNESCO, and has dedicated many years to sharing the philosophy and practice of ikebana and Japanese culture with international audiences.
His recent academic work includes:
the chapter “Environmental Art: Ikebana Meets Contemporary Art, ” published in Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Issues, Concerns and Prospects (Springer, 2026), and
“Relative Positions of Freestyle Ikebana Movement in the Field of Ikebana Before and After WWII, ” Traditional Culture (Kyoto University of Arts Publishing).
He currently serves as:
Vice President, International Society of Ikebana Research (ISIR),
CEO, Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival.
Additional Qualifications:
Certified Shinto Priest (Gonseikai officially approved by Jinja Honcho – Kyoto Kokugakuin)
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