A few days before the 8th World Bonsai Convention opened, our group had the opportunity to visit a private bonsai garden. The garden, set in a secluded valley near Nikko, in the Tochigi prefecture, belonged to Masaru Hazaka, Chairman of the Nippon Houju Association. Hazaka’s garden was beautiful, but he apologized when we arrived as […]
Japan
Satsuki bonsai at Kobayashi Sangyou
Last week’s tour of satsuki bonsai in development at Kanuma’s Kobayashi Sangyou nursery didn’t hint at the general quality of trees there or at the scope of the operation. Most of the six or so greenhouses at the nursery were filled with well developed trees. The smaller, younger, trees were impressive in quality and in […]
Azaleas in development at Kobayashi Sangyou satsuki bonsai garden
Over the years, I’ve seen a number of spectacular azaleas at exhibits like Taikan-ten and Kokufu-ten – trees with super trunks, interesting movement and full canopies. I’ve appreciated them for years and they make a compelling case for satsuki azalea as a great variety for bonsai. On a recent visit to the Kobayashi Sangyo company […]
Rakujyuen satsuki bonsai garden
Kanuma City is satsuki central in Japan. It’s where the eponymous azalea soil comes from, and it’s home to numerous satsuki nurseries including Rakujyuen. Rakujyuen satsuki bonsai garden Rakujyuen is a family business run by Minoru Fukuda, his wife, his son Yoichi, and his daughter Chieko. Rakujyuen has a good selection of azaleas in a […]
Koju-en shohin bonsai nursery
I recently returned from a trip to Japan for the World Bonsai Convention. Before getting to the show, I was able to visit a number of bonsai and satsuki nurseries that were new to me. The first of these was Koju-en. Koju-en Koju-en is a Kyoto bonsai nursery run by Tomohiro Masumi. Masumi is a […]