Shogo Kariyazaki is one of Japan's most flamboyant and outspoken authorities on beauty.

Since starting to study ikebana at age 24, the Tokyo native has risen to fame through his penchant for a sensitively decorative, yet often extravagant, approach to the traditional art of flower arranging. Now a colorful fixture on the nation's TV screens, as well as in magazines, Kariyazaki has also aggressively extended his reach to incorporate music and fashion, by combining his talents with those of such artists as pop singer Tatsuya Ishii, guitarist Kaori Muraji and fashion designer Hanae Mori.

Memorably, at a recent opening party for his annual exhibit at Meguro Gajoen in Tokyo, Kariyazaki showcased his latest "collaboration with music" to the hundreds of guests. While an angelic young woman sang a classic tune beside him, Kariyazaki quickly "threw" flowers and branches into a gigantic vase, completing a gorgeous arrangement just as the final bars faded.