Some of the larger stones at this year’s Japan Suiseki Exhibition were displayed with scrolls. Because the stones take up less visual weight than larger bonsai, the scrolls are larger than what we’re used to seeing in bonsai displays. Stone display with scroll – Furuya ishi Scroll display with stone – Kamogawa fugo oroshi ishi […]
Exhibits
Exhibits are where we can see bonsai at their best. Explore posts from Bonsai Exhibits in the U.S. including the U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition and Japanese events including the world-famous Kokufu and Taikan-ten exhibits.
Highlights from the 7th Japan Suiseki Exhibition
My visits to Japan for the Kokufu exhibit aren’t limited to bonsai excursions. One of my favorite side trips is just a few flights of stairs up from the show. The Japan Suiseki Exhibition has, in its seven year history, quickly become the suiseki show to catch in Japan. Here is a small selection of […]
Accents displayed at the 94th Kokufu-ten
If you look next to every great tree at the Kokufu bonsai exhibit, you’ll find a small companion plant at its side. Korean hornbeam display Accent plants, or shitakusa (“under weeds”) as they are known in Japanese, accompany every display at the Kokufu-ten. Accents can feature one or more species, and they are typically planted […]
Prize-winning trees from the 94th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition
The Kokufu-ten is Japan’s top bonsai exhibit. It’s presented in two halves. One hundred and fifty-one displays are set up for a few days, then another one hundred and fifty-one displays are set up after a day-off to facilitate the change. The quality of the trees on display is outstanding. I could share photos of […]
A historic spruce at the 94th Kokufu exhibition
This year’s Kokufu exhibition featured a special display of books and posters from early exhibits. Posters from early Kokufu exhibitions I only glanced at the posters on my first visit to the show before quickly moving on to the next display. On my second pass through the exhibit, I looked closely at the tree displayed […]