Bonsai displays at Hoshun-in

To give a better idea of what it was like to experience the Genko Kai exhibit at Hoshun-in, here are a couple of shots that show how the rooms were set up. (Thanks to Chris C. for the suggestion!)

Suiseki and white pine

Pomegranate, black pine, trident maple and hinoki against sliding doors

Walking between rooms, were were treated to views of the temple garden.

Dry garden at Hoshun-in

Stepping stones and moss

Some of the rooms featured tokonoma. I think Peter Tea would appreciate the pot here (see his post, “One pot to rule them all.“)

White pine and scroll

Persimmon and scroll

The final room was larger than the others. It featured a sales area with trees, pots, stones and slabs. There were a few pines.

Black pine

Black pine

Black pine

There were also deciduous trees, including the yellow crabapple below.

Kaido

And there were some junipers too.

Shimpaku

Shimpaku

I was tipped off to the event by Bill Valavanis and Kora Dalager. Bill has been leading tours to Japan for 40 years and he does a great job. If you’re interested in a bonsai tour of Japan, check out their tours.

For more about the exhibit, read Bill’s report here. And if you don’t follow his blog – or subscribe to International Bonsai – now’s a great time to start!

William N. Valavanis and Kora Dalager with an expensive pot

The Genko Kai exhibit also featured some impressive suiseki – more on that next week. In the meantime, I hope you have a Happy New Year!