Two Weeks in Japan
The Scouse tree huggers on tour
February 6th – February 20th 2024
The decision to go to Japan was made over a year ago and was the culmination of endless discussions regarding who we should go with and what we wanted to see.
After an early start yours truly and the tree huggers are at Heathrow patiently waiting for flights to Japan via Frankfurt. Our adventure has been efficiently organised by James at Japan journeys and we have kindred spirit in the form of Vanessa, who will prove to be a brilliant tour guide. We have been joined by Steve and Keith additional members of the group who hail from Bedfordshire and Ashfield bonsai clubs respectively. The rest of the group are all members of The Wirral Bonsai Society, eight of us in total. We pass uneventfully through customs apart from misplacing one of the team???. Next stop Frankfurt.
Transfer to Japanese Airlines for a brilliant flight, thirty nine people on board so lots of legroom. Passed over some amazing places including Istanbul, Tehran and Beijing. Touch down at Narita airport fifteen hours later, can’t believe we are finally here. Jet lag kicked in unexpectedly at 3am this morning with little chance of getting back to sleep. Transfer from Narita airport to Tokyo was a little like driving back to North Wales from Manchester, a bit disorientating. Sampled my first Ramen last night definitely won’t be the last.
First stop today is Kobayashi Sensei nursery, short train and bus ride and we arrive, it does not disappoint and we were privileged to take tea with one of bonsais legends. A friendly and courteous man he made us extremely welcome as did his apprentices. The trees are absolutely stunning and despite being hugely impressed it was hard not to have this pleasure tinged with an emotional sadness. Bonsai in Japan is declining at a similar rate to the UK and it’s not difficult to imagine the longer term outcome to this situation. On a brighter note Mr Kobayashi has a pine for sale at a mere one million US dollars. Birthday present perhaps ??.
Part one of the Kokufu ten today, didn’t know what to expect but one thing is for sure it blew all of my expectations out of the water. The team were equally impressed and after about two hours of photographing and discussing trees we retired to the Green club a very up market sales area for some retail therapy. Big mistake, hugely expensive my wallet needed a couple of Valium. Back to the Kokufu ten for some even more staggering exhibits. The whole experience was made even more rewarding by the presence of Hiroko Kimura [ co-editor of a prominent bonsai magazine] and Yuki
her friend accompanied by Tatsuya a third year apprentice to Yagamatsu San considered to be the leading authority in Japan on Zuisho Pines. Next stop the bonsai museum at Omiya, about one hour on the bullet train from Tokyo. A fifteen minute stroll takes you a tranquil garden packed with bonsai masterpieces. A small film unit interviewed Steve Holland and Pete Bullen regarding foreigners visiting Japan in connection with bonsai. The trees on display here have age and venerability, something our trees back home are lacking. Our onward journey takes us to Kyoto aboard the Shinkansen. Two hundred miles per hour and it feels like you are floating. Passed Mount Fuji clothed in snow, beautiful sight. We were lucky to be able to enjoy a typical Japanese wedding ceremony at the Yasaka shrine in Kyoto, evening walk back to the hotel via the Gion district, old wooden houses, one of only three sites in Japan. Nishiki market for some amazing street food. Off to the Golden temple this morning, a stunning building with similar grounds. Lots of visitors as it is Japanese New Year. Next stop the Daisen-in temple to include a Tea Ceremony and a magical display of bonsai. The caretaker of the bonsai was most impressed we had travelled to Japan just to look at his trees. Economy of information at play here. Sushi for dinner tonight, no peace for the wicked.
In the hotel lobby for 09:30 to catch the train to the nearby city of Nara, taxi from the station to the Todaiji Temple. This was once the largest wooden building in the world but it has been overtaken by a competitor in Wisconsin. Opportunity to feed the deer by hand and they are willing participants. Back to Koyoto to visit the antique quarter, some great bargains to be had but getting things home is more problematic. The more cultural element in the group Billy, Keith, Steve and I are off to the Gion theatre tonight, the others are off to set a new Japanese record for consuming Guinness. Valentines Day today, no worries I’ve left her present with family, we are on the move again, this time onto Osaka and beyond into rural Japan. Bullet and local train rides deliver us to Kinashi via the Seto Ohashi Bridge. Short walk to Bonsai Nakanishi Chinshoen in Takumikumo village. Just when you thought things could not get any better they suddenly did. We were met by a charming lady who escorted us into a stunning garden and a mind blowing nursery of black pines for sale. Our new friend escorted us around her village from nursery to nursery until sensory overload overtook us and we had to call it a day. Back to our hotel in Okayama to relive every moment.
Up and out by 9:00am this morning, taxi ride to the Okayama Korakuen gardens. Magnificent stroll gardens enhanced by elevated castle, river and lakes, discovered Yuzu today, a hot citrus fruit drink, two cups required on a cold February day. Taxi back to the station, we are returning to Tokyo today for the Kokufu ten part two. Kokufu ten part two calls to us this morning, we all decide on a taxi rather than wrestling with the Tokyo rail network. The trees on display are truly mind blowing, and yes there are some issues that its difficult for a western bonsai enthusiast to rationalise but the physical presence of some of the trees on display is like nothing I have experienced before.
Overnight bag packed for one night stay in Nagoya, cases forwarded on to the airport hotel. Meeting Hiroko and Yuki on Sunday morning to visit the famous Goyzan kiln. Said our farewells to Vanessa, our truly brilliant guide and ventured into the Tokyo underground in the middle of the rush hour. Chris, our newly elected guide did us proud remaining calm and decisive under huge amounts of pressure. We were soon speeding towards Nagoya on the Hikari 639 Shikansen. Mount Fuji still in cloud, Spent the afternoon Nagoya castle. Sunday morning 8:45 am and it’s our last day of what has been a life changing adventure. Its potter’s village today, first stop the Goyzan kiln. To say his pots are fabulous is a massive understatement and both he and his wife are charming. Both he and his wife generously drove us around the village visiting other potteries, we then split up, the boys followed the pottery trail with Yuki while Hiroki and I visited the Kiln of Ikko Wantanabe. This is a very talented man who has featured in Bonsai Focus under the heading of the “The Best Pots in Town “. We had tea with him and his wife discussing bonsai in Japan and the UK. Japanese bonsai enthusiasts are equally interested in what is happening in European bonsai as we are in what's happening in Japan.
We are now at the airport manipulating and checking the weight of cases, trying to get them within the 23kg limit. Before I close all that remains is to say a huge thank you to Japan Journeys and particularly to Vanessa who unravelled the mysteries of the rail network as well as much other confusion. She was a real star and is now an honouree member of the Tree Huggers on Tour. Also to Hiroko and Yuki who treated us like family, taking us to places we could have only imagined. Arrigato to you both x
Last but not least my brothers in arms, Pete, Sean, Chris, Steve and Billy not forgetting the people of Japan. In the immortal words of a well known actor. “I’ll be back “
Footnote :-
It would seem appropriate after a trip like this to make some observations on the cultural differences between Japan and the UK as well as the differences in our approach to bonsai. The Japanese are a very Polite, Honest society and favour a community approach rather that our Western individualistic style, we would not hesitate at a major bonsai show to make comments both positive and negative on some of the exhibits on display, the Japanese do not do that they will stand politely observing and admiring without comment. Hiroki mentioned that the communication that takes place between western bonsai enthusiasts in a spontaneous meeting is something that bonsai in Japan lacks as it is a valuable source of shared information from unbiased practioners. Spending the day with Tatsuya was enlightening, and answered some of the questions I had regarding exhibition trees displaying what I believed as a western bonsai practioner to be faults. He commented that faults in
trees are recognised in Japan like any other country but they treat them differently. If a fault exists then use it. If it cannot be used then hide it. Finally if both of the first two fail remove it. This accounts for many of the trees on display having common faults on close examination, crossing branches, multiple branches from one point etc. This micro examination of exhibited trees does not feature in bonsai appreciation in Japan, rather a feeling of awe and reverence for the age and venerability of the tree on display. We talk in the west about the symbiotic journey both the tree and the current guardian enjoy together. Tatsuya commented that western trees sometimes have many journeys as new guardians will often radically change the complete style of a tree setting it back several years. The philosophy in Japanese bonsai is to show respect for the previous guardian and look to keep the tree moving forward. Exhibiting bonsai at Kokufu ten standard is not exactly representing a culture or a nation. Your tree has to be exhibited by a professional bonsai artist; they then make all the decisions regarding Pot, Table, and Accent etc. Many of the nursery owners I spoke to had as many as fifteen trees on display and as there are only one hundred and forty trees on display in part one and the same in part two, one can quickly work out that the bonsai display at major events in Japan is controlled by ten or twelve nurseries. Observations from nursery owners would suggest that some of them are surprised that we as a nation have not embraced more of our own culture with the comment “The English have a strong tradition as gardeners”.
As a relative beginner in bonsai, celebrating my twentieth year. I have returned from Japan with a different outlook on bonsai. I will continue to admire but not try to follow a culture I am only just beginning to understand. I propose to embrace much more the visual stimulus I receive from driving around my home country of North Wales. Share with other interested party’s thoughts and ideas or a more western approach to exhibiting trees, it dawned on me while in a London museum recently that I could not find a single piece of sculpture displayed up against a wall. All of them exhibited with three hundred and sixty degree visual access. Are our trees not living three dimensional sculptures?
I hope you have enjoyed sharing our time in Japan, the memories of the country and the people will remain with me for the rest of my life. A final piece of advice for any of you out there considering a similar adventure.
Get it booked
Kind regards Dave, Steve, Chris, Sean, Pete Billy, Keith, Steve and the amazing Vanessa
The Scouse tree huggers on tour
February 6th – February 20th 2024
The decision to go to Japan was made over a year ago and was the culmination of endless discussions regarding who we should go with and what we wanted to see.
After an early start yours truly and the tree huggers are at Heathrow patiently waiting for flights to Japan via Frankfurt. Our adventure has been efficiently organised by James at Japan journeys and we have kindred spirit in the form of Vanessa, who will prove to be a brilliant tour guide. We have been joined by Steve and Keith additional members of the group who hail from Bedfordshire and Ashfield bonsai clubs respectively. The rest of the group are all members of The Wirral Bonsai Society, eight of us in total. We pass uneventfully through customs apart from misplacing one of the team???. Next stop Frankfurt.
Transfer to Japanese Airlines for a brilliant flight, thirty nine people on board so lots of legroom. Passed over some amazing places including Istanbul, Tehran and Beijing. Touch down at Narita airport fifteen hours later, can’t believe we are finally here. Jet lag kicked in unexpectedly at 3am this morning with little chance of getting back to sleep. Transfer from Narita airport to Tokyo was a little like driving back to North Wales from Manchester, a bit disorientating. Sampled my first Ramen last night definitely won’t be the last.
First stop today is Kobayashi Sensei nursery, short train and bus ride and we arrive, it does not disappoint and we were privileged to take tea with one of bonsais legends. A friendly and courteous man he made us extremely welcome as did his apprentices. The trees are absolutely stunning and despite being hugely impressed it was hard not to have this pleasure tinged with an emotional sadness. Bonsai in Japan is declining at a similar rate to the UK and it’s not difficult to imagine the longer term outcome to this situation. On a brighter note Mr Kobayashi has a pine for sale at a mere one million US dollars. Birthday present perhaps ??.
Part one of the Kokufu ten today, didn’t know what to expect but one thing is for sure it blew all of my expectations out of the water. The team were equally impressed and after about two hours of photographing and discussing trees we retired to the Green club a very up market sales area for some retail therapy. Big mistake, hugely expensive my wallet needed a couple of Valium. Back to the Kokufu ten for some even more staggering exhibits. The whole experience was made even more rewarding by the presence of Hiroko Kimura [ co-editor of a prominent bonsai magazine] and Yuki
her friend accompanied by Tatsuya a third year apprentice to Yagamatsu San considered to be the leading authority in Japan on Zuisho Pines. Next stop the bonsai museum at Omiya, about one hour on the bullet train from Tokyo. A fifteen minute stroll takes you a tranquil garden packed with bonsai masterpieces. A small film unit interviewed Steve Holland and Pete Bullen regarding foreigners visiting Japan in connection with bonsai. The trees on display here have age and venerability, something our trees back home are lacking. Our onward journey takes us to Kyoto aboard the Shinkansen. Two hundred miles per hour and it feels like you are floating. Passed Mount Fuji clothed in snow, beautiful sight. We were lucky to be able to enjoy a typical Japanese wedding ceremony at the Yasaka shrine in Kyoto, evening walk back to the hotel via the Gion district, old wooden houses, one of only three sites in Japan. Nishiki market for some amazing street food. Off to the Golden temple this morning, a stunning building with similar grounds. Lots of visitors as it is Japanese New Year. Next stop the Daisen-in temple to include a Tea Ceremony and a magical display of bonsai. The caretaker of the bonsai was most impressed we had travelled to Japan just to look at his trees. Economy of information at play here. Sushi for dinner tonight, no peace for the wicked.
In the hotel lobby for 09:30 to catch the train to the nearby city of Nara, taxi from the station to the Todaiji Temple. This was once the largest wooden building in the world but it has been overtaken by a competitor in Wisconsin. Opportunity to feed the deer by hand and they are willing participants. Back to Koyoto to visit the antique quarter, some great bargains to be had but getting things home is more problematic. The more cultural element in the group Billy, Keith, Steve and I are off to the Gion theatre tonight, the others are off to set a new Japanese record for consuming Guinness. Valentines Day today, no worries I’ve left her present with family, we are on the move again, this time onto Osaka and beyond into rural Japan. Bullet and local train rides deliver us to Kinashi via the Seto Ohashi Bridge. Short walk to Bonsai Nakanishi Chinshoen in Takumikumo village. Just when you thought things could not get any better they suddenly did. We were met by a charming lady who escorted us into a stunning garden and a mind blowing nursery of black pines for sale. Our new friend escorted us around her village from nursery to nursery until sensory overload overtook us and we had to call it a day. Back to our hotel in Okayama to relive every moment.
Up and out by 9:00am this morning, taxi ride to the Okayama Korakuen gardens. Magnificent stroll gardens enhanced by elevated castle, river and lakes, discovered Yuzu today, a hot citrus fruit drink, two cups required on a cold February day. Taxi back to the station, we are returning to Tokyo today for the Kokufu ten part two. Kokufu ten part two calls to us this morning, we all decide on a taxi rather than wrestling with the Tokyo rail network. The trees on display are truly mind blowing, and yes there are some issues that its difficult for a western bonsai enthusiast to rationalise but the physical presence of some of the trees on display is like nothing I have experienced before.
Overnight bag packed for one night stay in Nagoya, cases forwarded on to the airport hotel. Meeting Hiroko and Yuki on Sunday morning to visit the famous Goyzan kiln. Said our farewells to Vanessa, our truly brilliant guide and ventured into the Tokyo underground in the middle of the rush hour. Chris, our newly elected guide did us proud remaining calm and decisive under huge amounts of pressure. We were soon speeding towards Nagoya on the Hikari 639 Shikansen. Mount Fuji still in cloud, Spent the afternoon Nagoya castle. Sunday morning 8:45 am and it’s our last day of what has been a life changing adventure. Its potter’s village today, first stop the Goyzan kiln. To say his pots are fabulous is a massive understatement and both he and his wife are charming. Both he and his wife generously drove us around the village visiting other potteries, we then split up, the boys followed the pottery trail with Yuki while Hiroki and I visited the Kiln of Ikko Wantanabe. This is a very talented man who has featured in Bonsai Focus under the heading of the “The Best Pots in Town “. We had tea with him and his wife discussing bonsai in Japan and the UK. Japanese bonsai enthusiasts are equally interested in what is happening in European bonsai as we are in what's happening in Japan.
We are now at the airport manipulating and checking the weight of cases, trying to get them within the 23kg limit. Before I close all that remains is to say a huge thank you to Japan Journeys and particularly to Vanessa who unravelled the mysteries of the rail network as well as much other confusion. She was a real star and is now an honouree member of the Tree Huggers on Tour. Also to Hiroko and Yuki who treated us like family, taking us to places we could have only imagined. Arrigato to you both x
Last but not least my brothers in arms, Pete, Sean, Chris, Steve and Billy not forgetting the people of Japan. In the immortal words of a well known actor. “I’ll be back “
Footnote :-
It would seem appropriate after a trip like this to make some observations on the cultural differences between Japan and the UK as well as the differences in our approach to bonsai. The Japanese are a very Polite, Honest society and favour a community approach rather that our Western individualistic style, we would not hesitate at a major bonsai show to make comments both positive and negative on some of the exhibits on display, the Japanese do not do that they will stand politely observing and admiring without comment. Hiroki mentioned that the communication that takes place between western bonsai enthusiasts in a spontaneous meeting is something that bonsai in Japan lacks as it is a valuable source of shared information from unbiased practioners. Spending the day with Tatsuya was enlightening, and answered some of the questions I had regarding exhibition trees displaying what I believed as a western bonsai practioner to be faults. He commented that faults in
trees are recognised in Japan like any other country but they treat them differently. If a fault exists then use it. If it cannot be used then hide it. Finally if both of the first two fail remove it. This accounts for many of the trees on display having common faults on close examination, crossing branches, multiple branches from one point etc. This micro examination of exhibited trees does not feature in bonsai appreciation in Japan, rather a feeling of awe and reverence for the age and venerability of the tree on display. We talk in the west about the symbiotic journey both the tree and the current guardian enjoy together. Tatsuya commented that western trees sometimes have many journeys as new guardians will often radically change the complete style of a tree setting it back several years. The philosophy in Japanese bonsai is to show respect for the previous guardian and look to keep the tree moving forward. Exhibiting bonsai at Kokufu ten standard is not exactly representing a culture or a nation. Your tree has to be exhibited by a professional bonsai artist; they then make all the decisions regarding Pot, Table, and Accent etc. Many of the nursery owners I spoke to had as many as fifteen trees on display and as there are only one hundred and forty trees on display in part one and the same in part two, one can quickly work out that the bonsai display at major events in Japan is controlled by ten or twelve nurseries. Observations from nursery owners would suggest that some of them are surprised that we as a nation have not embraced more of our own culture with the comment “The English have a strong tradition as gardeners”.
As a relative beginner in bonsai, celebrating my twentieth year. I have returned from Japan with a different outlook on bonsai. I will continue to admire but not try to follow a culture I am only just beginning to understand. I propose to embrace much more the visual stimulus I receive from driving around my home country of North Wales. Share with other interested party’s thoughts and ideas or a more western approach to exhibiting trees, it dawned on me while in a London museum recently that I could not find a single piece of sculpture displayed up against a wall. All of them exhibited with three hundred and sixty degree visual access. Are our trees not living three dimensional sculptures?
I hope you have enjoyed sharing our time in Japan, the memories of the country and the people will remain with me for the rest of my life. A final piece of advice for any of you out there considering a similar adventure.
Get it booked
Kind regards Dave, Steve, Chris, Sean, Pete Billy, Keith, Steve and the amazing Vanessa