The book, "Hananikki (Flower Diary): Battle Stories of Showa Ikebana" says that he earned his living by arranging flowers in a coffee shop at young age. He preferred buying a beautiful flower instead of having a meal for the whole day because he had been so attracted by it in a flower shop.
Later, I learned that he had spent most of his life working with flowers. His work "The Blood of Flowers" is representing his strong character, searching for a deeper expression in Ikebana.
