Ryuha is a group of people who inherit a certain systematic expertise or technique in the field of sake brewing and Japanese art including: Noh (and its predecessor Sarugaku); Kyogen (traditional short comedic drama); Nihon Buyo (classical Japanese dance); Bo-no-te (Japanese traditional dance); Kado (Japanese flower arrangement); Sado (tea ceremony); Hochoshiki (schools of Japanese cuisine); Yusoku kojitsu (court and samurai rules of ceremony and etiquette); Emondo (traditional technique of dressing up for Junihitoe [a ceremonial Robe of a court lady]); Gagaku (Japanese traditional music and dance); shodo (calligraphy); Nihonga (Japanese-style painting); and Japanese martial arts such as kenjutsu (swordplay), battojutsu (the technique of drawing a sword), naginata jutsu (art of using a naginata halberd), kyujutsu (archery), hojutsu (gunnery) and gungaku (art of warfare), and is passed down from the Iemoto or Soke to their students.
流派とは、能（猿楽）、狂言、日本舞踊、棒の手、華道（生け花）、茶道（茶の湯）、包丁式、有職故実、衣紋道、雅楽、書道、日本画、剣術・抜刀術・薙刀術・弓術・砲術・軍学（兵法）などの日本武術などの芸道や日本酒造りなどの分野において、ひとつの体系化された技を継承する集団を指し、開祖の家元・宗家とその門弟により継承される。