Chabana

Chabana (茶花) is a form of flower arrangement prepared for the Japanese tea ceremony. It emphasizes natural beauty and seasonality, using a small number of seasonal flowers or branches arranged in a simple vessel. The arrangement is typically placed in the tokonoma, the alcove in the tea room, and serves as a quiet seasonal greeting before the ceremony begins.

Its style centers on simplicity and restraint. Unlike more formal schools of ikebana, chabana favors minimalism: often a single stem or a few cuttings arranged asymmetrically with spare foliage. The choice of materials, containers, and placement aims to evoke the time of year and the mood of the gathering rather than display technical showiness.

Practice and schools: Chabana is practiced within ikebana traditions but is specifically adapted for chanoyu. While rules vary among schools, common elements include a focus on seasonality, restrained color, and the use of plain, utilitarian vessels. The arrangement is temporary, changed to suit different occasions, and is meant to complement the tea experience rather than overshadow it.

Contemporary practice: Today chabana remains a common element of traditional tea rooms and is taught to students of ikebana. Practitioners may adapt the form for contemporary interiors while preserving its emphasis on seasonality, modesty, and a natural, understated beauty.