My visit last year to Japan began at Shinpukuji Temple. Not far from Okazaki, Aichi, Shinpukuji is a collection of buildings that includes a large temple and an old wooden shrine. A restaurant on the grounds serves bamboo delicacies, and a bonsai museum offers colorful diversion. The custodian of Shinpukuji is Mr. Oomura. Oomura’s family […]
Excursions
Excursion posts feature visits to bonsai gardens in the U.S. and in Japan, visits to the Kyoto's Most Renown Gardens, and trips into the mountains to see junipers and pines in their natural setting.
Moriyama’s bonsai garden
My visit to Japan last fall included a number of visits to Mr. Moriyama’s garden. Often there were trees to pick up or drop off so we’d swing by on our way elsewhere. Other days we’d stay awhile – like the day we helped reorganize a section of the garden and tied trees to benches. […]
Highlights from Moriyama’s bonsai collection
Mr. Moriyama is prominent among Nagoya bonsai collectors for good reason. He has an outstanding collection and he is a great supporter of both local and regional bonsai events, his trees featuring in at least five of the exhibits I visited last fall. At home, these trees are crowded into a beautiful garden setting. If […]
Mr. Kita’s bonsai
Last fall’s visit to Mr. Kita’s bonsai collection was a real treat – I can only imagine how nice it would be to see such a scene in one’s own backyard. Boon Manakitivipart, a white pine, and Peter Tea A towering hornbeam Few gardens include large Chojubai like the specimen below. Japanese quince ‘Chojubai’ Kita’s […]
Mr. Kita’s junipers
On our way to visit Ishii’s nursery last fall, Akio Kondo took Boon, Peter and myself to visit one of his customers – Mr. Kita. Kita has a small, but impressive, bonsai collection. Trees like the juniper below. Large shimpaku Impressive, yes, but was this the front? The other side, too, has great features. The […]