生け花 - Ikebana (literally "giving life to flowers") is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, in which the arrangement brings nature and humanity closer together. The shapes, forms and colors of the flowers are very important; but unlike western customs, emphasis is put on the flowers' stems and leaves.
The origin of ikebana can be traced back to the ancient Japanese custom of erecting evergreen trees and decorating them with flowers as yorishiro to invite the gods.