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In 1960, when the Chapter began, there were four Schools of Ikebana in Portland: Saga Goryu, Senke, Ohara, and Sogetsu. Over the decades, with the demise of one, Senke, and the addition of two, Ikenobo and Ryusei-Ha, we now have, in the 21st century, three remaining schools that actively continue to offer classes: Ohara, Saga Goryu and Sogetsu.

During the Chapter’s first decade, many ikebana exhibitions and visits by Masters of Japanese Arts, were through the cooperative efforts of the Chapter and the Nippon Cultural Center. The Cultural Center, a part of Portland’s Daihonzan Henjyoji Temple, included the Saga School headed by the Bishop Daiyu Y. Henjyoji. In the late-50’s both he and his wife, Mrs. Wako Henjyoji, were actively teaching, demonstrating, and holding ikebana exhibitions.

After 1961, when the Bishop Henjyoji became head of the Jobodai-in Temple in Koyasan, Japan, he divided his time between Koyasan and Portland. Mrs. Wako Henjyoji remained in the U.S. and continued their Saga School. In 1974, her school was designated as Saga-Goryu, North America Branch. She retired from heading the Branch in 2010 and was succeeded by Mr. Shunko (David) Komeiji.  Until her death in 2019, Mrs. Henjyoji had the distinction of being the only Charter member who was still an active Chapter member 50 years later.

Originally, there was another Saga School headed by Mrs. Zenzaburo Ochiai, who probably began teaching in the late ’40s. The two Saga Schools were similar but different, due to their lineage, evolution and adaptations of arrangement styles. In 1988, Mrs. Ochiai was succeeded by Mrs. Tomo Sunamoto until her retirement in 1998. Mrs. Sunamoto’s students continue to hold occasional exhibitions.

Senke School’s Head Teacher, Mrs. Lillyan Finlay, began teaching in 1949 and was also a Charter member. She was one of six Senke teachers in the U.S. who received their advanced instructorship, or ‘Shihan’ (and one of the two Caucasians in this group). Her active participation in Lake Oswego and Portland’s civic affairs contributed vitality to the Chapter’s early history, judging from the fragments of information about the Chapter’s monthly programs and exhibitions from 1961 to the 1970’s. After 1977, Mrs. Finlay ‘disappears’ from the Chapter records. Her legacy appears to have been carried on by Mrs. Vesta Harrison, who unexpectedly passed away in 1994. Soon after, the Senke School in Portland dissolved.

Mrs. Masano Yamasaki, the head teacher of the Ohara School, began teaching in Portland in 1958. Her successor from 1986 to 2013, Mrs. Kitty Akre, founded the Portland Ohara Study Group in 1994, one of 27 outside of Japan. Carolyn Alter guided and grew the Study Group to its latest milestone by founding the Ohara, Oregon Chapter in 2019.

Our founder, Mrs. Mildred Schnitzer, recalling how the Portland Chapter began, mentioned meeting with her ikebana teacher, Mrs. Ogashi, of the Sogetsu School. Mrs. Ogashi, listed among the Founders, ‘disappears’ from all subsequent Chapter records. Collective memory suggests that she was a temporary Portland resident from 1960 to 1961, then returned to Japan. Mrs. Keiko Kodachi came to Portland from Japan around 1957, when her husband, the Reverand Zuigaku Kodachi, was appointed priest of Portland’s Nichiren Buddhist Temple. Mrs. Kodachi began teaching in 1961; her Portland Branch was officially approved by Sogetsu Headquarters in 1981. She retired in 2007 as director and continues to teach.

The two most recently established Ikebana Schools (in 1974) are Ikenobo and Ryusei-Ha, by Mrs. Amy Lapp and Mrs. Reiko Grenade, respectively. From 1996 until his death in 2014, Dr. James Skog continued the Ikenobo School. In 2010, he was granted the rank of Sokatoku, or Senior Professor, First Grade of the Ikenobo School, the highest rank available to students outside of Japan.

In 1997, the Ryusei-Ha Portland Branch was officially inaugurated and Mrs. Granade appointed to Branch Director. It is one of 65 branches and the only branch outside of Japan.

Ikebana International, U.S.A., published its first (and possibly, only) directory of member-teachers in 1965. Recognizing that there were many variations in the titles and levels of teacher certification among the Schools, Ikebana International sent a questionnaire to teacher-members. The questions included what level of certification, title, and flower name. Completion of the questionnaire, a copy of the highest certificate and a fee were the requirements to be published in this directory. Three teachers were listed for Portland: Mrs. John D. Finlay, Senke School, Mrs. D.Y. Henjyoji, Saga-Ryu Misho-Goryu, and Mrs. George Yamasaki, Ohara School. This may be considered official, but the following is a more complete list of Head Teachers, past and present, based on collective memory and Chapter records.

Saga

1940 – 1961 Bishop Daiyu Y. Henjyoji
1953 – 2010 Mrs. Wako Henjyoji
2010 –           Mr. Shunko Komeiji

19?? – 1987 Mrs Zenzaburo Ochiai
1988 – 1998 Mrs. Tomo Sunamoto

Senke

1949 – 1981 Mrs Lillyan Finlay
1982 – 1994 Mrs. Vesta Harrison

Ohara

19?? – 1986  Mrs. Masano Yamasaki
1986 – 2013 Mrs. Kitty Akre
2012 –           Ms Carolyn Alter (Portland OR)
1992 –           Mrs. Phyllis Danielson (Vancouver WA)

 

Sogetsu

1960 – 1961 Mrs. Ogashi
1961 – 2007 Mrs. Keiko Kodachi
2007 – Director position regularly rotated

Ikenobo

1974 – 1986 Mrs. Frank Lapp
1996 – 2014 Dr. Jim Skog

Ryusei-Ha

1974 –           Mrs Reiko Granade

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