Exploring Japan's Bonsai Gardens
The practice of growing bonsai trees took root in China, but it grew and matured in Japan. This is why Japan is considered as the home of bonsai. For bonsai enthusiasts, no visit to the Land of the Rising Sun and the and of the Cherry Blossoms is complete without touring several splendid gardens.
In Japan's smallest and least visited main island, Shikoku, lies the alleged birthplace for the Japanese bonsai art. It is said that this type of growing plants had its humble Japanese beginnings in the Kinashi Village in Shikoku more than two hundred years ago. Today, it has over 270 bonsai gardens, making it the largest bonsai village in Japan. With fields upon fields of miniature pines, it is said to hold 80% of the total market share of mini pine sales in the country. It holds three fairs with auctions every month. If you visit on the right day, you might even catch a free consultation session. Every October, Kinashi Village holds a bonsai festival, displaying some of the most priceless miniature trees that one can find.
In Tokyo itself, the Takagi Bonsai Museum boasts of miniature trees that are as ancient as 300 to 500 years old. Aside from hundreds of bonsai and bonsai art pieces, it also features a Japanese garden, complete with a bamboo hedge and a pond.
The Shunkaen Bonsai Museum is a nursery owned by award-winning bonsai master Kunio Kobayashi. It features garden displays and tokonoma displays, including precious pots, scrolls and artefacts related to bonsai aesthetics. Kobayashi himself teaches classes in the nursery on Sundays.
In the Taikan Museum located in Obuse, bonsai artist Shinji Suzuki presents visitors with displays that are redesigned daily to continually give visitors pleasant surprises. Bonsai in interesting forms, as well as detailed garden accents, can be found in Suzuki's museum.
Bonsai artists also love visiting the nurseries of extraordinary bonsai celebrities like Masahiko Kimura and Saburo Kato. In their nurseries, visitors will find stunning bonsai masterpieces that have become subjects of many magazine articles. The masters themselves have been known to graciously share some stories and insights with interested visitors.
