Seiji Morimae, proprietor of S-Cube Bonsai in Japan, runs a bonsai organization called Genko Kai. Coincident with this year’s Taikan-ten, the Genko Kai held an exhibit at the Houshun-in temple, one of 22 sub-temples in the Daitoku-ji complex (see photos of Daitoku-ji gardens).
The Genko Kai displayed their bonsai in formal displays known as tokonoma – designated viewing alcoves – that featured trees and suiseki with scrolls and accent pieces. The trees were beautiful. Here are some of the highlights.
Multi-trunk white pine
Slant-style Ume
Formal upright white pine
Multi-trunk trident maple
Multi-trunk hinoki
Semi-cascade white pine
Shimpaku
Pomegranate – note unusual pot
Shimpaku
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Chris Cochrane says
Hi Jonas… Thanks for the great photos of the trees! They are excellent..
Can you share photos of the bonsai (suiseki, too) in display? The _raison d’etre_ of bonsai is arguably its display, and Mr. Morimae is particularly deft.at sharing eccentric as well as conventional arrangements.
mrmurt says
Jonas,
I was just thinking how long some of these trees must have been cared for, how long they have been in a pot. Then I went back to your blog of “Highlights of the ?Green Room?” Sept 18, 2015 and saw the same white pine in a different pot. Three months later — guess what? Its in the eye of the beholder!
Thanks for the show.
Michael
Jonas Dupuich says
Hi Chris – I’ll look for photos of complete displays. Most of the rooms simply had trees placed here and there against walls with some stones among them – in other cases the tokonoma were used in formal fashion. Thanks for the note!
Todd says
Jonas: That first Shimpaku is such an awesome tree.
But there is something about it that leaves me feeling conflicted. That awesome trunk and dead wood speak of surviving through such hellish conditions, yet the carefully manicured foliage looks like it belongs in an English Garden. The contrast really sticks out, and hits me.
I am an amateur, so I am certainly not qualified to critique it.
But I would like to try to understand it.
Do you think this is the reaction that he designed it for?
Or is it just the style used on collected trees
Do you have any opinions on this? Am I just totally “out to lunch”?
Jonas Dupuich says
Hi Todd – very good insight/feeling. I’m ok with the basic outline of the foliage, but I always prefer it when the foliage is integrated with the deadwood (or other key feature of the tree). I’ll say more on the topic in an upcoming post.