Bonsai Tonight

An educational website about bonsai development

Post #500 – Kokufu-ten

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A little over five years ago I started this blog – and today marks my 500th post. I’ve come a long way since my first post, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you all for joining in the fun along the way. Now over 5,000 photos, 2,000 comments, 3,000 followers and a million post-views later, I’d like to share some photos from the world’s most prestigious bonsai exhibit, the Kokufu-ten.

Those of you who have visited the Kokufu-ten, or National Bonsai Exhibit, will recognize the scene below – lots of people vying for a better view of outstanding bonsai.

Kokufu

View from above – Kokufu-ten #88, February 2014

For those of you who have yet to visit the exhibit, I can say that it’s simply a treat. Hundreds of superb trees are on display in the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum each February. For details about the event and the best history I know of in English, see the Phoenix Bonsai Society’s articles on the topic starting with, Kokufu Bonsai Ten, Part I.

Enough talk – it’s time for the trees!

Japanese beech

Japanese beech – Kokufu Prize

Chinese juniper

Chinese juniper

Two Americans exhibited bonsai at this year’s Kokufu – Frank Cucchiara and Doug Paul. This year marked Frank’s first entry in Kokufu – Doug first showed bonsai in Kokufu in 2010. Congratulations to you both!

Shinpaku

Chinese juniper and Japanese flowering quince ‘Chojubai’ by Frank Cucchiara

Chinese juniper

Chinese juniper by Doug Paul

Zelkova

Zelkova

Chinese juniper

Chinese juniper

Trident maple

Trident maple

Ezo spruce

Ezo spruce

White pine

Japanese white pine – Kokufu Prize

Japanese maple

Japanese maple

White pine

Japanese white pine

Ezo spruce

Ezo spruce

Japanese beech
Japanese beech

Japanese black pine

Japanese black pine

Chinese quince

Chinese quince

Needle juniper

Needle juniper

Japanese black pine - Kokufu prize

Japanese black pine – Kokufu Prize

White pine

Japanese white pine

Trident maple

Trident maple

Chinese juniper

Chinese juniper

Japanese maple

Japanese maple

Stewartia

Stewartia

Trident maple

Trident maple

Chinese juniper - Kokufu prize

Chinese juniper and trident maple – Kokufu Prize

Thanks for helping Bonsai Tonight reach 500 posts – I couldn’t do this without you!

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Comments

  1. Congratulations! Bonsai can be a big topic, indeed, and a constant inspiration to those of us whose gardening is spread across a more traditional scale, weeds and all.

  2. Jonas – A big thank you for this post, from so many of us who may never make it to Japan! Keep up the great sharing. Here’s to 500 more!

  3. Jonas, I enjoyed every one of your 500 posts. Read most of them over and over. I’m looking forward to the next 500!!.
    Thank you very much!

  9. Congratulations Jonas! The number of posts alone is an awesome achievement, but looking back over the content, it is an amazing service you provide to the bonsai community, and you give it away!…now when is that book coming out…

  10. I was not sure you had this site yet—-I find it fun. Barbara

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  13. Jonas,
    You may recall I met you at Takamatsu.
    Thank you for your dedication in posting your blog so regularly. My friends whom I have introduced to your blog agree with me that we owe you a huge debt of gratitude for bringing it to us.
    Thank you.
    Dave.

  21. I have been following your blog for almost a year. When I saw this was your 500th post I figured I would take the ride from the beginning. All I have to say is wow.

    After reading almost all the posts and comments there is one question I don’t believe has ever been brought up. When are you going to write a book?