One of the highlights of this year’s Taikan-ten was a special display featuring specimens from the Keiji Tanaka collection. Three bonsai and two suiseki were exhibited in a display designed by Seiji Morimae. The trees were fantastic, as was the work by Shinji Suzuki. Trident maple A placard for the display provided the following text: […]
Search Results for: taikan ten
Prize-winning black pine at 35th Taikan-ten
What kind of trees win prizes at prestigious Japanese exhibits like Taikan-ten? Trees like the black pine below. Black pine This tree took top honors at this year’s Taikan-ten. The work is by Masahiko Kimura. What makes the tree special? Great health, great trunk and bark, great branch development and great balance in terms of […]
Needle juniper at 35th Taikan-ten
A few weeks ago I made a last minute decision to head to Japan to visit the 35th Taikan-ten held in Kyoto. I’m glad I did. Visiting exhibits in Japan provides a great opportunity to catch up with friends from around the world and to do a little bonsai-related shopping for tools, pots and accessories. […]
Hinoki forests and more at the 34th Taikan-ten
I don’t often see hinoki cypress bonsai forests, and I wouldn’t expect to see multiple hinoki bonsai forests in the same exhibit. The recent Taikan-ten exhibition in Kyoto, Japan, featured four of them. Tsuyama hinoki cypress (Photos by Boon Manakitivipart) I enjoy hinoki bonsai because they are often styled into abstract shapes with silhouettes that resemble […]
More outstanding bonsai from the 2014 Taikan-ten
Yes, there are more outstanding trees to share from the 2014 Taikan-ten: Black pine – 2014 Sakufu prize winner Japanese maple – 2014 Kokufu prize winner All photos are courtesy Boon Manakitivipart. Boon regularly visits Japan in fall to work on a private bonsai collection. We’re fortunate that this year’s visit included a trip to Taikan-ten. […]