Over the years I’ve come to expect directional bonsai to be displayed next to shohin box displays. Box display with shimpaku that leans toward the center of the display At Gafu-ten, I was surprised by how many of these trees shared their own stand with the accent plant. Box display with an additional stand Close-up […]
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.
Alternatives to shohin box displays
The idea of exhibiting six shohin bonsai in a single display can be daunting. Fortunately there are good alternatives that accommodate smaller numbers of bonsai in the display. At Gafu-ten, the most common single-tree displays feature bunjin bonsai. These trees have little visual weight for their size but fill the display area well. Bunjin camellia […]
Shohin judging categories at Gafu-ten
At Gafu-ten, Japan’s premier shohin exhibit, there are a number of different judging categories. This allows the judges to recognize the best contributions for a particular type of tree or display. Some of the key categories include: Over 70 cm (the box stand for the display is 80 cm wide) 70 cm (the box stand […]
Anatomy of a shohin display
One of the first displays to catch my attention at this year’s Gafu-ten exhibit featured six trees and an accent plant. Award-winning display at the 2019 Gafu-ten held in Kyoto, Japan Unlike the display of larger bonsai, shohin display entails complex relationships among all of the trees in the composition. As the number of trees […]
Roy Minarai pots at the Gafu-ten pottery competition
It was fantastic to visit a ceramics competition in Japan and see Roy Minarai of Kawauso Pottery recognized for his work. Roy took second in the glazed category for this year’s pottery competition held at the 2019 Gafu-ten exhibit held in Kyoto, Japan. Minarai display Roy entered three pots, a blue glazed mokko, a green […]