Hoyu Kabo was established in 2026 by Tomoko “Hoyu” Lee, a certified Sogetsu Ikebana instructor in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a busy working mom for many years, Tomoko understands how difficult it can be to make time for creative pursuits. She started Hoyu Kabo to offer busy people in the Bay Area a more accessible and flexible way to learn Ikebana—at their own pace and on their own schedule.

The name Hoyu Kabo reflects both Tomoko’s Ikebana journey and her vision for the studio. Written as 芳柚華房 in Japanese and pronounced Hōyū Kabō, Hoyu (芳柚) is Tomoko’s Sogetsu flower name, while Kabo (華房) is a coined name inspired by the idea of a flower studio.

Tomoko was born and raised in the Yokohama and Tokyo areas. Her love of flowers was inherited from her mother, who has always grown flowering plants—even when the family lived in a small apartment or a house without a yard. She was also fortunate to spend much of her childhood with her grandparents on the Izu Peninsula during school breaks. There, she learned to grow vegetables and developed a lasting appreciation for nature and the changing seasons.

After five years in the hectic corporate world at Sony Corporation, Tomoko left Japan in 1992 to study Communication Arts (film and television) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. After graduating, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to work as a video and event producer. Gardening became her weekend escape and another creative outlet. Of all the flowering plants she grows, roses are her favorites. She is an active member of Peninsula Rose Society, where she also shares her knowledge of floral design.

After her first layoff in 2009—and four more over the years—Tomoko began looking for something completely different to explore alongside her career in the creative industry. She began studying Sogetsu Ikebana under Yoshiko “Hogetsu” Williams, drawn to the way Ikebana could transform garden materials into contemporary and expressive designs. She continues her Sogetsu studies under Katsuko “Biko” Thielke.

Tomoko has exhibited her work at Bouquets to Art, Sogetsu San Francisco Bay Area ArtScapes, the Ikebana International San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Flower Show, the San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival, OFAD (Organization of Floral Art Designers), and the Filoli Flower Show. Her design philosophy centers on seasonality and sustainability. For her everyday arrangements, nearly all of her materials are organically grown and foraged from her own garden.

She is passionate about passing on her Ikebana knowledge and encouraging a greater appreciation for the Slow Flower Movement—the use of locally grown, seasonal, and sustainably produced flowers. Through Hoyu Kabo, Tomoko hopes to create a community where people can slow down, connect with nature, and discover their own creativity through flowers.