When designing deciduous bonsai, one of the biggest decisions is how to form the branches. Some of the key considerations are the angle at which the branches emerge from the trunk (do they go up, down, or out), the basic movement (curvy or straight), and the silhouette or outline (pointy or round) of the tree. […]
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Kokufu 101: Japanese black pine
One of the most valuable aspects of a visit to the Kokufu exhibit is the opportunity to study great trees in person. Just looking at a handful of pines, for example, can reveal very different approaches to creating branch structures and silhouettes. Let’s start by looking at four medium-size trees. The first tree has very […]
Displays at the 7th Japan Suiseki Exhibition
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 […]
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 […]
Studying trees at the Koishikawa Botanical Garden
My recent trip to Japan included a morning at The University of Tokyo’s Koishikawa Botanical Garden. The garden got its start as a medicinal herb garden in 1684 when it was established by the Tokugawa Shogunate (learn more here). Today it’s a research facility with 4000 species in the living collection, 20,000 books, and 1,000,000 […]