An apple that cost ten sen.
A young sculptor struggling to establish himself.
A shallow white basin that changed how flowers could be seen.
A household that rose, declined, and adapted.

The early history of the Ohara School is not a polished institutional narrative—it is a story of instability, improvisation, and artistic conviction.

In this immersive seminar, we step into Meiji-era Japan and explore the world that shaped Fusagorō before he became Ohara Unshin.

We examine:

• The pottery family he was born into

• Adoption as a practical family strategy

• The financial decline that reshaped his life

• His early career as a sculptor recognized at the highest levels

• The hardship years in Osaka

• The arrival of Western flowers and imported fruit

• Experimental gatherings that preceded public recognition

• Why “moribana” was not even its original name

Rather than repeating a list of dates, this lecture reconstructs the atmosphere of change: industrial Osaka, new materials, shifting aesthetics, and an artist searching for form.

Moribana did not emerge fully formed. It was tested, debated, improvised, and gradually clarified.

By the end of this seminar, we see the founder not as a distant symbol, but as a working artist navigating modernity.

The story continues in:

After the Revolution: Succession, Conflict, and the Survival of the Ohara School

Where we examine how a fragile experiment became an enduring lineage—and how the school navigated resistance, succession, and generational change.

This seminar may be attended independently.

Membership Option

Ohara Study Group membership includes four online seminars per year.

If you are considering membership, please purchase membership first. Members receive a coupon code that allows registration for seminars at no additional cost.

Learn about Membership and sign up here.

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