The Origin of Ikebana Lab Development

It all started with a TV drama

Around June 2024, a certain TV drama became quite the talk of the town. I’ll skip the details, but the main character was a man in his thirties who was learning ikebana. Honestly, I’d never once had the chance to encounter “ikebana” in my own life and thought it was something completely unrelated to me. I hadn’t particularly shown any interest in plants up until then either.

But watching that drama, something clicked inside me. “Ikebana… I kinda want to try that.” It was a scene I would normally have let pass by, but this time, it strangely caught my attention.

“Wouldn’t it be interesting if you could experience this digitally, in 3D?”

From the moment that thought struck me, a concrete image began to form in my mind, bit by bit. That was the initial spark that led to creating “Ikebana Lab.”

Finding Something to Devote Yourself To

Back then, I was wrestling with how to spend my life’s time. I used to be completely immersed in app development, writing code even at the expense of sleep. But after moving to Miyazaki, I became obsessed with surfing. Getting in the ocean every day and riding the waves was truly enjoyable. I still do it now.

Yet, somewhere deep inside, I felt, “This can’t be all there is.” Surfing had become part of my way of life, but it felt slightly lacking in terms of something I could truly “devote my life to.”

While searching for something to passionately pursue in life, I talked with local business owners. When asked “Why do you do this business?”, each had their own unique journey and philosophy. Seeing that made me ponder… what about me? Those were days of deep reflection. It was during this time that I happened to watch a drama and thought, “I want to try ikebana.”

The Difficulty of Going from Zero to One and Taking That First Step

But just wanting to do something doesn’t mean it easily takes shape. In fact, this was where the real hard part began. The so-called “zero to one” phase. What to create, how to make it happen. That’s the hardest part.

Honestly, I’d never worked with 3D data development before, and there were countless moments I thought, “Maybe this is impossible.” I’d been involved in app development for a long time, but 3D was uncharted territory. Could I really do this? While wrestling with that question, I decided to at least try manipulating 3D data within a smartphone app.

While advancing the technical proof-of-concept through the app, I also scribbled ideas on paper at my desk, sketched concepts, and pondered solutions while walking. The time spent agonizing over what to build and how far outweighed the time spent writing code. But I didn’t dislike that trial-and-error process itself. I felt, “This is how creation truly begins.”

A Tiny Beginning

Looking back, it really started with something incredibly small. I just happened to see a drama where the main character was doing ikebana. That’s all. If I hadn’t seen that drama then, this app probably wouldn’t have been born.

But I think what really mattered was not dismissing that small spark in my heart with a “Oh well, it doesn’t matter,” but instead thinking, “Maybe I should give it a try.” In the midst of a life consumed by surfing, I found something else to be passionate about. That’s what eventually led to the creation of “Ikebana Lab,” I realize now.