Ikenobo Senei (池坊専永)
Senei IKENOBO (July 21, 1933 -) is a flower arrangement expert from Kyoto Prefecture. He is a Doshisha University graduate. He is the eldest son of the 44th flower arrangement expert Seni IKENOBO. His wife is Yasuko IKENOBO, a member of the House of Representatives, and his eldest daughter is Yuki IKENOBO who will be the next iemoto (the head of the school).
Personal Profile
1945: After the sudden death of his father Seni, Senei became the 45th generation iemoto and entered the priesthood at Shoren-in temple in Kyoto Prefecture.
1946: He entered Hiei-zan Junior and then Senior High School. He lived at Jisho-in Temple for the ascetic training of Buddhism.
1953: He became the chief priest of Shiunzan Chohoji Temple.
1962: Together with Tomijiro TOKURIKI, he expanded his career beyond Japan for the first time.
1971: He held his first exhibition at a department store called Matsuzakaya in Ginza, Tokyo.
1973: He was featured in a NESCAFE TV commercial.
1985: For the International Exposition Tsukuba, Japan 1985, he created a huge flower arrangement to decorate the stage of 'Ikebana to Kimono no Kokyoshi' (A Symphonic Poem of Flower Arrangement and Kimono).
Not only holding exhibitions or disseminating Japanese flower arrangement both domestically and internationally, he also writes and gives lectures.
Kunsho (Medals)
1971: He received the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon.
He also received the Orden Academico De San Francisco award (Brazil)
1955: He received the Medal of the Southern Cross (Brazil)
2005: He received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (he was the first person to receive this award in the field of flower arrangement)