Upon entering the 8th World Bonsai Convention in Saitama, visitors are greeted by a large juniper called Hiryu, or, Flying Dragon. Hiryu, Flying Dragon I’d seen photos of the tree ahead of the event and hadn’t been wowed, but seeing the huge tree in person made it clear that it deserved to be the logo […]
Japan
Selections from Japan’s top 100 suiseki at the World Bonsai Convention
The 8th World Bonsai convention featured not only some of Japan’s best bonsai, but also some of its best suiseki. Kamogawa yase ishi The 100 stones on display were assembled by the Nippon Suiseki Association. It was an impressive exhibit. Kamogawa ishi Tanba shiun seki Iyo ishi The stones came in a variety of styles […]
Satsuki azalea bonsai at the World Bonsai Convention
The best thing about spring shows is the opportunity for color. Gyokurei Saien This was the first spring show I’d attended in Japan. I was struck by how nice it was to see bright indications of the season. Sayaka Jukokan Somewhere between one third to half of the satsuki bonsai on display at the 8th […]
Bonsai from the Keiunan Collection at the World Bonsai Convention
It’s hard to overstate the quality of the trees on display at the 8th World Bonsai Convention, and some of the best belonged to the Keiunan Collection. White pine – 250 years The trees are under the care of Shinji Suzuki. Several were originally created by Masahiko Kimura. Black pine – 500 years Red pine […]
Bonsai from the Funayama Collection at the World Bonsai Convention
One thing that made the recent World Bonsai Convention so special was the inclusion of collections that aren’t often displayed. One of these collections belongs to Akiei Funayama, a Fukushima-based bonsai artist. White pine Funayama focuses on white bonsai, as is clear from the outstanding specimens that were on display. White pine Multi-trunk white pine […]