INTRODUCTION 



AFTER long travel through India, 

 Ceylon, and China I was more 

 deeply impressed than ever that 

 flowers are a greater factor in the life of 

 the Japanese than in that of any other 

 nation. 



When I returned to Japan, my study of 

 the art of flower arrangement for years 

 convinced me that the Japanese held in 

 this art knowledge of value to Western 

 peoples. Following this art from youth 

 has given the Japanese an idea of propor- 

 tion, taught them the power of concentra- 

 tion, and one might almost say imbued them 

 with many of their finest traits of character. 

 Aside from the gain of beauty in the results 

 of these floral arrangements and the ad- 

 vantage of prolonging the life of flowers so 

 arranged, I am sure that all who may be led 



[13] 



