Great junipers have great character. The twists and turns of the trunk convey a tree’s response to its environment. In the best examples, this movement is beautiful and unique. Shimpaku This is one of the most striking trees I saw on my recent trip to Japan. It was displayed at Houshun-in temple, part of the Daitoku-ji complex, […]
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.
A curious display
I’ll keep this post simple – does anyone know the story behind this display from last month’s Taikan-ten? Display with figures Figures on burl wood Close-up Box of figures
More shitakusa from Taikan-ten
The accent below is common – can someone provide the name? If you look carefully, you’ll notice a shoot from a different plant – the leaf looks like kinzu to me. Ajania pacifica (formerly Chrysanthemum pacificum) – Japanese: iso giku (Thanks to Tom for the tip! -ed.) Here’s another accent of the same variety. It’s less […]
More than an accent
Referring to the companion pieces at fine exhibits as “accents” doesn’t always do them justice. Using the Japanese “kusamono” isn’t much better as the term translates directly to “grass-” or “weed-thing.” Accents can provide color, add interest to displays and indicate the season. They can also be compelling artistic creations on their own. Here are a […]
The heart of Japan – Keiji Tanaka display at 35th Taikan-ten
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: […]