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Kinashi Bonsai District

December 21, 2012 by Jonas Dupuich

The Kinashi Bonsai District is the source of many different bonsai varieties, but by far most trees from this region are black, red, and white pines. Each of these varieties are typically grown here in pure “river sand.” Warmer winters and hot muggy summers make river sand the perfect medium for pines in the region.

River sand

River Sand

Kitadani Shokkoen - river sand

River Sand

The growers tend to develop trunks in the ground, then dig the trees to develop the branches. Given enough time, some fun trees result.

Black pine

Black pine

Exposed root pine

Exposed root pines

At each nursery, I asked the proprietor if he or she had pine seeds for sale. The first time I heard yes, I was led to the back reaches of the property where said seeds were kept in a workshop. I’ve been growing some of these seeds for almost a year now – a small reminder of Shikoku in my own backyard.

Workshop

Workshop

Flats and pots

Flats and pots by the workshop

Wandering through the nursery-ridden neighborhood offered views of different approaches to growing pines. Some plots were tidy, others rangy, others seemingly abandoned. With the price of rough pines as low as it is in Japan today, it can cost more to dig and care for a tree than one can make selling it.

Growing grounds

Growing Grounds

Growing grounds

Pine foliage

Growing grounds

Mini bonsai forest

Growing grounds

Some not-so-healthy cork bark pines

Growing grounds

More less-than-healthy cork bark pines

Growing grounds

White pines

Growing grounds

Black pines

Growing grounds

Pines in need of a haircut

Growing grounds

Little pines

At the Kinashi bonsai center, several nurseries had trees for sale, including some new varieties. The senzyumaru black pine below had tinier foliage than kotobuki yet the variety grew more vigorously. Here’s the oldest of the batch.

Senzyumaru

Senzyumaru

Behind one of the growers, the proprietor’s son – one of the convention headliners – maintained a fabulous collection of shohin bonsai.

Shohin

Shohin

Black pine

Shohin exposed root black pine

Black pine

Black pine

Black pine

Young black pines

Japanese pepper

Japanese pepper tree

Back outside, it was all pines again.

Growing grounds

Rangy black pines

Growing grounds

Well kept pines

Growing grounds

Many well-kept black pines

I finished the afternoon at a nursery near the start of my tour. It was famous for a black pine with extraordinary branches. Seriously extra-ordinary.

Big pine

Black pine

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Filed Under: Excursions Tagged With: Japan

Previous Post: « Nakanishi Chinshoen
Next Post: Kokubunji Bonsai Center »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stu Garrett says

    December 21, 2012 at 5:37 am

    Please educate us about what a “senzyumaru black pine” is.
    Great photos!
    Stu Garrett

  2. bonsaiprelude says

    December 21, 2012 at 5:38 am

    Those are the coolest pictures ever, they look like green mushrooms!

  3. John DeMaegd says

    December 21, 2012 at 6:24 am

    Somebody hand me a tissue quick! I know I’m drooling! WOW! What I wouldn’t give to be able to shop in this area!

  4. brendenstudio says

    December 21, 2012 at 2:43 pm

    Wow! Thanks for sharing

  5. phil lanceley says

    December 21, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    Another world

  6. Jonas says

    December 21, 2012 at 9:49 pm

    Hi Stu – What little I know about the variety is that it’s a black pine with very short needles developed and/or discovered, I imagine, by someone from the area.

  7. Robert Fulkerson and my son Joshua Fulkerson says

    December 23, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    What are the chances of one visiting any of these phenomenal nurseries and purchasing a pine and bringing it back to the United States. Is it possible, and what could one expect to pay for a typical black pine that you would see at one of these places. It floors me that you see bench after bench of these beautiful trees, and then here that they just sit there because people are not buying these trees. I have a son teaching English in Japan and when we come to visit him this coming spring we want to do the tours of as many of the famous nurseries as possible. I would love to pick up a tree or two” or ten”, just kidding about the ten and bring back to our home in America to add to our bonsai collection. My son and I have been in the bonsai hobby for approximately 7-8 years, and have never owned a pine of any species, but now feel like we would love to expand our growing knowledge into this species. Any help into the process that would be needed to bring a tree from Japan home would be greatly appreciated.

    • Jonas Dupuich says

      December 24, 2012 at 4:10 pm

      Hi Robert – thanks for the note! Visiting these nurseries and buying any number of trees is relatively easy. Bringing them to the states is tricky. Last I heard, approved nurseries can import trees that must undergo quarantine before you can take you home. These nurseries typically buy and sell their own stock, though some may, on occasion, make arrangements to quarantine trees on behalf of individuals. My information is out of date and far from complete – maybe others have a better understanding of the process.

  8. David Bockman (@davidbockman) says

    December 31, 2012 at 7:25 am

    Interesting photos of the failing black pines in the grow field– do you think they are abandoning them because of the lack of sales of refined trees?

    • Jonas Dupuich says

      December 31, 2012 at 8:28 am

      Hi David – my guess is it’s the lack of sales of unrefined trees. It takes a lot of effort to get bonsai from the ground to exhibit, and not everyone wants to spend years getting their trees into shape, especially when slightly more refined trees aren’t that much more expensive. It would be nice (for all but the growers) if we had a similar supply overabundance.

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