Takuya Uemura: Where Architecture Meets Ikebana in Kobe

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if an architect picked up a pair of flower shears, meet Takuya Uemura, a man who designs buildings by day. He brings branches to life by night. Based in Kobe, Japan, Uemura is both an architect and an ikebana artist. Takuya Uemura skillfully blends the precision of structural design with the quiet poetry of traditional Japanese flower arrangement.

The Way of Flowers (and a Few Floor Plans)

Ikebana (literally “making flowers alive”) is far more than putting pretty petals in a vase. Also known as kadō (the way of flowers), it’s one of Japan’s three classical arts of refinement. It sits proudly alongside the tea ceremony (chadō) and incense appreciation (kōdō). In ancient Shinto rituals, people offered evergreen branches as yorishiro to invite the gods. Over centuries, those sacred sprigs made their way indoors, adorning the tokonoma alcoves of traditional Japanese homes.

As a child, Uemura learned ikebana and he never quite recovered (in the best way possible). In 2003, he began studying the Misho-ryu school of ikebana, later earning his teaching license. He joined the Hyogo Prefecture Ikebana Association. By 2023, his dedication quite literally blossomed when Takuya Uemura received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Prize. This was at the 96th Ikebana Grand Prize, Japan’s most prestigious flower-arranging showdown.

He’s also the co-founder of Goyosha, a collective devoted to keeping classical ikebana alive. Through cross-school collaborations and classes at his private atelier, Uemura is ensuring that the “way of flowers” keeps finding new roots.

An Architect Who Thinks in Petals

When he’s not arranging branches, Uemura is arranging buildings. A graduate of the Kyoto Institute of Technology (Waro Kishi Laboratory), Takuya Uemura joined CLOUD ARCHITECTS in 2019. He has worked on everything from private residences to the national pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka. His architectural works share the same DNA as his ikebana: simplicity, balance, and an uncanny ability to make space feel alive.

Winner of multiple national awards, including the 2023 Japan Institute of Architects Excellent Architecture Selection, Takuya Uemura stands at the crossroads of tradition and technology, art and design, nature and blueprint. He’s proof that sometimes, the best way to understand space… is to stick a flower in it and see what happens.

How would you present your work to someone who doesn’t know you? And what does your work consist of exactly?

I am both an ikebana artist and an architect. I am currently based in Kobe, Japan, where I have presented my works in exhibitions and events both in Japan and abroad. While preserving the classical styles of ikebana, which have been passed down through generations, I also explore new forms of expression. These resonate with the contemporary era.

In recent years, I have been experimenting with generative AI. This is a way to introduce new perspectives and possibilities into a traditional field that is facing decline. My work is characterized by combining the structural sensibility of architecture with the traditional techniques of Japanese ikebana. Through forms that are at once architectural and organic, Takuya Uemura seeks to create new landscapes within space.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Since ikebana uses flowers and branches as its materials, I always try to listen to their voices. These voices provide essential guidance for my creations. My practice is rooted in two pillars: ikebana and architecture. These continuously influence and inspire one another.

Just as ikebana has historically evolved in response to the changing architectural spaces where it is displayed, my works resonate strongly with contemporary architecture. In addition, I seek to integrate the spirit of our times by drawing from contemporary art, fashion, and culture. I reflect these influences in my creations.

What is your creative process? From the initial idea to the final creation?

When creating free-style works, I begin by drawing inspiration from the conditions of the display, such as the location and the season. I also keep the materials close at hand, observing their expressions and letting them inspire the imagery of the work. During this process, I sometimes translate the conditions, materials, and images into words. Then I use AI to generate visuals, which helps refine and clarify my ideas.

After that, I move on to selecting the vessel, an element inseparable from ikebana, before proceeding with the actual creation. That said, my use of generative AI is still at an early stage. Many of the images it produces are on a large scale, which I have not yet been able to realize in practice. However, I hope to bring these works into reality and present them in the near future.

Where can people find your work?

At present, ikebana associations mainly showcase my work through group exhibitions. In recent years, I have also been creating works specifically to share on Instagram. Looking ahead, I hope to present my new experiments with AI through future exhibitions and events. This will make my work accessible to a wider audience.

In both architecture and ikebana, Takuya Uemura moves with quiet precision, guided by nature and intuition. Because in the world according to Takuya Uemura, beauty doesn’t just bloom. It’s carefully constructed, thoughtfully placed, and always alive.

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