Shohin bonsai at Kokufu 88

Shohin bonsai, at Kokufu-ten, are saved for the last room. Each half of this year’s exhibit featured five displays with five or six trees each, followed by a handful of kifu-sized bonsai. Although many visitors have had it by the time they make it to the shohin room – not everyone is used to seeing 200+ bonsai in a single day – just about everyone lights up at the sight of the small-sized trees.

Visitors in the shohin room at Kokufu #88

The trees in these displays are exquisite.

Japanese Flowering quince ‘Chojubai’

Chinese juniper

Japanese Flowering quince ‘Chojubai’

Japanese white pine

Japanese Flowering quince ‘Chojubai’

Equally impressive is the arrangement of trees in each display.

Shohin display

A surprising number of conventions guide the arrangement of shohin bonsai at Kokufu, and an equal number of exceptions to these conventions keep the displays interesting.

Shohin display

Japanese black pines, for instance, are usually situated atop the box stands, though sometimes we see Junipers in this spot. Deciduous trees are typically paired with conifers or broadleaf evergreens, and to the side of the box stand we’ll see a tree atop a stand that’s typically taller than it is wide.

Shohin display

Shohin display – black pine on top, good contrast between deciduous and non-deciduous varieties below

And every once in a while we’ll see box stands that feature fewer than five trees. The four-tree box below makes for a wonderful composition.

Shohin display – four-tree box

Japanese Flowering quince ‘Chojubai’

Kinzu

Silverberry

The accents shown with medium and shohin-sized bonsai often provide a surprising amount of interest in a small pot.

Accent

Other times the accents are simple.

Accent – fern

Japanese white pine

Japanese Flowering quince ‘Chojubai’

Japanese maple

Silverberry

Japanese Flowering quince ‘Chojubai’

And finally, here are some of the box-top pines. With the exception of the tree below, the pots are very similar in style and color. The branches, however, have been developed by quite different means.

Shohin Japanese black pine

Shohin Japanese black pine

Shohin Japanese black pine

Shohin Japanese black pine

A final pass through Kokufu coming this Friday.