The origin of Ikebana stretches back over 500 years. The oldest Ikebana manuscript, "Kao irai no Kadensho" dates from 1486. The famous "Senno Kuden" manuscript, by the founder of the Ikenobo School of Ikebana, was written in 1542. Since this time, many styles have appeared, disappeared and developed.

People have long appreciated beautiful flowers and arranged them in vases. However, in Japan, the way of arranging flowers and plants has been carefully systematized and this is called ‘Kado’.
When Buddhism was introduced to Japan in about 538A.D, monks started to arrange flowers to decorate the altars of temples. In the Heian period (794-1192), appreciating flowers in a vase unrelated to religious worship also became popular. There are number of novels, essays and poems of that time which describe the aristocracy enjoying flower arranging and admiring arrangements of flowers.

In the Kamakura period (1192-1333), the Samurai (elite warrior class) wrested the power of government from the aristocrats and brought great lifestyle and fashion changes into the whole of Japanese society.

At this time it became fashionable to create a Tokonoma, a small sacred alcove, in a zashiki (Japanese room). The Tokonoma would contain a flower arrangement, incense and a candle. It is because the space is an alcove, that traditional styles of Ikebana are designed to be viewed only from the front.

In the early 16th century, people changed their attitude toward flower arranging. They did not wish just to put flowers into a vase but to enable the arranger to imbue the arrangement with some meaning or personal expression. This approach forms the basis of Ikebana. Indeed, Ikebana is often taught alongside the philosophy of universe.

From the late 13th to 15th century, the aristocrats and monks gathered at the Tanabata festival (festival of the star Vega, the seventh day of the seventh month) where they competed in flower arranging contests.

According to writings of the time, the two master arrangers were Ikenobo Sengyo and Ryu-Ami. Ikenobo is the name of the buildings within the temple called Rokkakudo in Kyoto, considered the birthplace of Ikebana.