Kyoto Ikebana Classes + Tips for Working with Wildflowers

Hello flower lovers,

This is the first edition of the HanaYou Ikebana Journal, and I'm so excited to share it with you. Please be sure to share your feedback with me so I can make this journal a spot of joy in your week.

HanaYou News

✨ Kyoto Ikebana classes are now open!

Our new Kyoto Studio opens this coming weekend. We plan to welcome students throughout each week, currently with three time slots each day the studio is open. We'll keep adjusting the times and capacity as we learn what best suits our guests.

I’m so excited to share the joy of Ikebana here in Kyoto and to welcome new students in this historic city. Visit the HanaYou Kyoto Studio page to learn more and book your session.

Inspiration from Kyoto

🌿 As I settle into Kyoto, I find that I often walk to the Kamo River, just steps from the studio, after busy days. The air is filled with late-summer cicadas, the water runs steadily past, and in the evenings families gather on the riverbanks to enjoy the cooler breeze.

What I love most is how the river always changes. Some days it feels calm and reflective; other days, after the rain, it rushes with energy. The grasses and wildflowers along the banks bend and recover, reminding me that nature teaches resilience as much as beauty.

If you can, find a small “river” of your own nearby: a place that shifts with the seasons and gives you a chance to pause. Bring a single flower or branch with you, hold it for a moment, and notice how it looks against its natural surroundings. This simple act can be a quiet practice of ikebana, even outside the vase.

🌸 Want to see more?

The full edition of today’s newsletter includes:

• My first Ikebana arrangement in Kyoto, created with wildflowers and grasses from the Kamo River with:
  • Step-by-step notes and tool tips for arranging with delicate stems
  • A video you can follow along with
• A look at the Chōyō no Sekku (Chrysanthemum Festival) and its connection to Ikebana traditions

🌸 The rest of this issue is reserved for HanaYou Ikebana Journal supporters.