Ikebana room decoration and commenced in a rudimentary way to consider natural beauty in floral arrangement. At this time "ikebana" was known as "rikka". This same age conceived another form called "nageirebana". "Rikka" and "nageirebana" are the two branches into which "ikebana" has been divided. Popularity of the two styles vacillated between these two for centuries. In the beginning, "rikka" was stiff, formal, and more decorative while "nageirebana" was simpler and more natural. Although "nageirebana" began to come into favour in the Higashiyama period, "rikka" was still preferred, and "nageirebana" did not truly gain popularity until the Momoyama period, about a
Ikebana of action. That warriors like Hideyoshi and Yoshimasa, two of Japan's most famous generals, found benefit in the practise of "ikebana" shows that it is valuable training, even for the masculine mind. "Rikka" reached its greatest popularity during the Genroku era. Many works on "ikebana" were published in the centuries from the Ken'ei (1206–1207) to the Genroku (1668–1704) eras, all founded on Sōami's idea of the three elements. The first of these works, published in the early part of the Ken'ei era, was a book called "Sendenshō", and there were many others, but none of much value to the student