The 94^th Meifu Bonsai Exhibition was held on January 10-12, 2025 in Nagoya, Japan. This is one of the largest and most important bonsai exhibitions. Also, it is the second longest in duration than the 99^th KokuFu Bonsai Exhibition. Next February in 2026 will be the 100^th anniversary of this most prestigious bonsai exhibition. It was started by Count Yorinaga Matsudaira and Tosho Kobayashi to raise the level of bonsai and increase awareness. Next year is the 100^thexhibition, but the show has not been around for 100 years. Originally the exhibition was held twice a year in March-April and in November-December yearly from 19434 to 1954. There were no exhibitions during the wartimes.

In 1960 the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition began yearly in February. Every ten years a double show was produced beginning in 1986 and it still continues.

The Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition mean “National” For years most of the bonsai came from one of the four main islands. But Tropical Okinawa is also part of Japan. Fuzaso Takeyama began teaching in Okinawa and now his son Hiroshi continues. Several y teaching in Okiears ago suddenly tropical species were represented in the exhibition, and I believe the tradition changed when the two Takeyama began teaching in Okinawa.

The Meifu Bonsai Exhibition mainly features bonsai grown and trained in the Aichi Prefecture region. This is a very fertile area for bonsai with the Suzuki family, Yasuo Mitsuya and Akira Kato leading the bonsai moement.

There are many Japanese black pine grown in this region so lots are represented. This year 65 bonsai were shown and there is always at least one special exhibit. Having this exhibition on the same days as the Gafu Shohin Exhibition makes it very convenient for foreigners since Nagoya is only a short 40-minute bullet train ride. There is also another excellent exhibition, in Okayama, but smaller which is held only one day a year, on the Saturday of the other two exhibitions.

The Meifu Bonsai Exhibition featured 65 trees. The bonsai were not crowded, pleanty  of breathing room between displays so visitors can enjoy the aesthetic impact of each beautiful bonsai. One of the highlights I like is the excellent overhead even lighting and the white backgrounds.

I really like this exhibition and will try to attend their 100^th anniversary in six years

The Gafu Shohin Bonsai Exhibition was held in the same venue and exhibition hall as the Taikan Ten Bonsai Exhibition only six week ago. Even though both exhibitions were similar and had most of the same vendors. Both were sponsored by different organizations and had most of the same people running the show, so most were familiar faces to me.

But, I personally had different feelings for both exhibitions although the foreign visitors were warmly welcomed. The security for this year’s exhibition was very evident with several security men walking around, carefully watching the visitors. There was a simple unobtrusive white wooden barrier around all the displays. ALL the doors in the entire huge exhibition center were locked, I checked them all and my favorite entrance was locked too. Even the many vendors were not allowed into the exhibition until about 40 minutes before the opening ceremony and ribbon cutting. After putting on, the white gloves I dropped golden official scissors on to the red carpet. But the owner of Kinbon publication, next to me picked them up for me. I did not fall during the three-day exhibition and another show in Nagoya. However, the tour is not over yet, tomorrow we will visit and go container shopping in Tokoname. During the past ten years or so I annually walk about 5-6 miles per day for the three-day November exhibition, and now the three-day Gafu Ten exhibition. I’m “usually” using my cane with an Apple Air Tag so it does not get lost when I accidently put it down.

Judging for the Gafu ten Shohin Bonsai Exhibition was held on Thursday. I’m not one of the judges for this exhibition, but did get permission and a special name tag to watch the judging. The entire display area was closed to the public and I watched guards turning people away. Good thing I had permission. The process is very complicated and I was surprised how the judging took place. There were over 130 display areas containing over 677 individual specimens. I was completely surprised that each bonsai is not evaluated! On each voting ballot, there are only three categories, each worth 10 points. 1 Tree quality. 2 Container value and suitability. 3 Overall composition of the display composition. It seems as though equal emphases is placed on the container and how they are arranged. Ballot image below.

Now for the size categories, mini-bonsai 7cm, mini-bonsai 10cm, Shohin bonsai 20cm. I have not seen or heard the word Mame Bonsai for several years.

Perhaps the increased security is to avoid theft of these tiny treasures. I got lucky photographing the trees and displays which interested me. After judging, every one of the 677 trees were removed and baptized in water until the bubbles stopped. Every display area had a blue piece of plastic and newspaper for allowing the trees to drain. When I arrived on Saturday morning every bonsai was on the draining matt. But they were quickly put back on display before the official opening. By the way, a few years ago I was told that each exhibition has different size categories. There were two different container contests and displays. The first display featured registered important masterpiece containers, which were not judged, but put behind glass. Tim Priest had one of his exquisite containers accepted for display for the sixth time. 

There was also a new container contest, with several entries from foreign countries. I recognized Gayle Fiato and Pitoon Ekarintaragun, both from New York state.

This was an excellent and special exhibition of shohin bonsai. I got brain freeze, all the trees and compositions began to look alike. When that happens to me I simply walk into the sales area to make purchases. Then I return back to the exhibition to continue my studies. I always see something I missed….

The 50^th Gafu Ten Shohin Bonsai Exhibition was held on January 10-12, 2025 at the Miyako Messe Exhibition Center in Kyoto, Japan. 

e 1st By the way, I figured out that I attended this first exhibition 50 years ago when I was apprenticing in Omiya Bonsai Village! This year to commemorate the historic achievement there were quite few additional special bonsai container contest (including several foreign entries) numerous registered shohin bonsai containers, antique containers, a private bonsai collections, professional bonsai artists and several demonstrations and even a workshop for 15 students. The trees came out great, considering the pre-shaped trunks and small lengthy Sargent juniper foliage.

After the formal opening ceremony and traditional ribbon cutting I was positioned at the entrance to welcome visitors. I was VERY surprised to see most of the first visitors RUNNING to get to the large sales area, just like in the United States, but I’ve never seen visitors running in to sales area, and I have attended a few bonsai exhibitions. Perhaps, if we had material for sale like in Japan, Americans would also run….

In Part-2 I’ll discuss the complicated judging system and how this exhibition compared to the November Taikan Ten Bonsai Exhibition held in the same room.

In Part-2 I’ll discuss the complicated judging system and how this exhibition compared to the November Taikan Ten Bonsai Exhibition held in the same room.

New Year’s day is a special holiday for our family and religion for at least three reasons. Most important is to welcome in the New Year, a fresh new yearly beginning. Everyone gets another opportunity to enjoy and improve their lives for another year. This also applies to our bonsai as well as we have plans to change and improve their design.

Also January 1^st commemorates the feast of the circumcision of Jesus in the Orthodox Church. Jesus was Jewish and according to tradition baby boys were circumcised on the eight day after birth. Our church celebrates this event during the first Divine Liturgy of the New Year celebrated on January 1^st for St. Basil.

More importantly January 1^st is also St. Basil’s day in the Orthodox Church. St. Basil was a forefather of the Greek Orthodox Church and is remembered for his kindness and generosity to the poor. He was also the first to establish hospitals, which I’m personally thankful for during these past several years.

Since my baptismal name is Vassilios (Basil), January 1^st is my names day, a holiday often celebrated more than birthdays. Sometimes the family of the person named Basil hosts an open house and friends are invited to visit. A couple of years ago Diane had New Year Open House and many of our friends were invited to help celebrate my names day. Of course I had to come up with a special alcove display in the studio featuring bonsai and the special events celebrated this day. There are many reasons to display bonsai and all of them are centered on creating a display atmosphere for enjoyment of the viewers. A Chinese quince bonsai, loaded with fruit (I did not add any) was selected to show the prosperity of the year. A Pomegranate would have been better, also a Pine showing longevity. But, I wanted to show prosperity. An icon of St. Basil was made into an insert for a scroll to celebrate the saint. Finally, Chinese quince fruit, along with a sharp, large root pruning bonsai knife was used for the accessory, with the knife commemorating the circumcision. This was a rather unusual, unorthodox display, but was created for my visitors which they enjoyed and we had many discussions.

The celebration continues with the cutting of a Vassilopita, or St. Basil’s cake (or bread). A coin is baked into the cake and the person receiving the coin is to have good luck for the New Year. St. Basil began this tradition by returning jewelry to people by placing one in each cake. There is a specific order of cutting the cake also. First piece is for St. Basil, next one for the house and the following for members of the family by seniority. Following pieces are cut for friends. Diane makes delicious Vassilopitas we all enjoy. However yesterday we went through the cutting and nobody found the coin… yet. I took a peek and saw the outline of the coin, which will be found by the next person who cuts a piece. I want another piece, but will cut it from the opposite side and let another member of our family find the coin

When I was a youngster my grandmother had a couple of customs for the New Year holiday. It was important that the first visitor who sets foot into the home was ideally a young innocent child with pure heart would bring a good omen and luck for the remaining of the year. We always hoped for a youngster, not an elderly person.

The Pomegranate is a fruit with a long history going back to ancient times. It is widely revered as a symbol of fertility, prosperity, regeneration and the inseparable marriage of life and death. One of my tasks for my grandmother was to take a large, plump, ripe Pomegranate and smash it on the doorstep for good luck. The blessed luck was proportional to how far the seeds were spread. I also had to clean up the red mess which stains. We do not follow this tradition for obvious reasons, but I might start next year, with a piece of plastic on the floor.

Kitty Kat

Well, last year Diane was the lucky person to finally find the coin in the Vasiliopita, so she will enjoy good luck for 2025. Actually, I hope my entire family and friends all enjoy:

Good Luck, Good Health and Prosperity during 2025.

May all your bonsai stay small and crooked, in the right places.

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FLAG COUNTER

I came across a few of these photos from a “memory” which popped up on my Facebook page, and thought I’d update the development of this Scots pine from a Xmas tree farm in Pennsylvania. Of course, I’ll add a lot more information in Part 2, but I’m busy finishing the anticipated 2023 US National Bonsai Exhibition Album.

1989– First potting from Xmas tree farm

1989– with good pinching the tree s becoming heavier. Not sure of the rock, but it does make the trunk base look better.

1997– The entire pine was defoliated to encourage short needles in spring. More information in Part 2.

1999- only two growing seasons were necessary for the pine to fill out

2002- This is the Pine when I purchased it in spring 2002, needs a lot of work (fun).

2010– beginning to develop into a new form, I needed right side branch and brought one from the left and stapled it the ideal location.

November 2023– pine became bushy and it was time to prune and wire.

December 2023- Alan Adair and I worked on the tree for about a month, we had other things to do… It was a good size, too big for me.

January 2024– we finished shaping the pine and decided it deserved a higher quality container.

September 2024–In February I visite the Gyozan Kiln in Tokoname and was lucky to find this container. Three large size containers were purchased that day and came home with me as extra baggage. The pine was transplanted in early summer into the fine new container it deserves. Now the bonsai is too large for me and I’ll let someone younger and stronger to continue its development. It is large, and if someone is serious in purchasing it I’ll go outside and measure it.

When creating a formal, traditional bonsai composition it is important to suggest seasonality. This can be easily suggested in several ways; the bonsai, scroll or accessory (companion planting, art or figurine.) These should not be duplicated in a composition. For example, do not display a flowering bonsai with a flower inspired scroll painting or a flowering companion planting. It would also be strange to suggest an autumn season with a colorful maple which is also duplicated in the painting. A booming autumn flowering or grass companion might be ideal.

It’s a bit difficult to display suiseki or pine bonsai because they not normally change color. So, pine bonsai can be effectively appreciated if the painting is of a maple. Or the pine bonsai could be displayed with a deciduous bonsai for autumn. However, pines or evergreen species often change color through the winter. Likewise, a stone could be used in a summer season if placed in a water basin. Or an evergreen bonsai displayed with a stone featuring flowers. The effective display of bonsai requires thought and creativity to be better appreciated.

Companion plantings are fun, easy to create and maintain, so most people often have several depicting different seasons.

The 44^th Nippon Bonsai Taikan Exhibition is now being held on November 22-25, 2024 at the Miyako Messe Exhibition Hall in Kyoto, Japan. This is the second most important bonsai exhibition in Japan and visitors from around the world travel to see, study and find out what is new in the Japanese bonsai community.

Set up was on Thursday the day before the show opened. The best three trees in each category were brought onto long tables. A few of the categories included evergreens (LMS), deciduous (LMS) Satsuki azaleas (LMS), forest plantings, rock plantings and three sections of suiseki. At 1:30 pm the actual judging with 11 important authorities from Japan and three foreigners from China, Europe and the United States. A total of 20 awards were selected. I had selected 18 out of 20 winners.

After the final judging finished at about 2:45 pm the trees were returned to their assigned display positions.

On Friday and Saturday I’ll be conducting a walking tour of the exhibition.

New this year are demonstrations by Masahiko Kimura, Kunio Kobayashi, Shinji Suzuki and two other artists. The demonstrations took about two hours in length and Mr. Kobayashi and Mr. Kimura kind of worked on two bonsai together, which was very entertaining. Demonstrations will also be held on Saturday and Sunday. There is a $20 admission fee for each day. On Friday tickets sold out quickly and many viewers were sitting on the floor or standing in the back watching the artists (actors?) performing.

I hope you enjoy the accompanying images as much as I have, it was one of the better-quality Nippon Bonsai Taikan Exhibitions. More to comb!

Today we visited the studio of Masahiko Kimura who is often referred to as “The Magical Technician of Contemporary Bonsai” because of his unique talents and creative expressions of bonsai art. He was among the first to use power tools and show the global bonsai community new techniques and tools for shaping and refinement.  

Currently Masahiko Kimura is considered to be a genius and innovator for bonsai and has started new movements to create highly refined sculptured masterworks.

Note the lower section of the stake has been colored white to blend in with the white dead wood areas

Mr. Kimura privately led me to his workroom in the back too show me all the bonsai he was entering the upcoming 99th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition.

Moss is being grown on rugs in the back of his studio for used when preparing his bonsai

Our semi-annual bonsai tour to the Japanese bonsai world began a couple a few days ago. Kora Dalager and I have been introducing friends from around the globe to the Japanese bonsai world for over 25 years. 

This autumn tour includes 14 people from across the United States, Canada and Switzerland. A great friendly group to travel with, no troublemakers, slow pokes or lost participants…. So far.

Diane and I arrived a day early with some good friends so she would have time to visit and study the outstanding masterpiece bonsai of Hiroshi Takeyama, proprietor of Fuyo-en Bonsai Garden in Omiya Bonsai Village. When I was an apprentice in the bonsai village in 1971-72 the garden I was studying at was across the street from Mr. Takeyama’s garden, and whenever I had rare day off, I would simply walk across the street visit his garden, Fuyo-en Bonsai Garden which was founded by the father, Fuzaso Takeyama over 70 years ago.

All bonsai artists seem to have a specialty, like carving old collected junipers with full of distinctive dead wood focal points or training pines and maples from seed or creating rock plating bonsai featuring a single species.

There are two different methods for creating bonsai; training collected trees or by actually growing the trees from seed, cuttings and air layering. Both methods have advantages and advantages and disadvantages. Basically, shaping old collected trees which requires creativity and skill which does not take a long time; or by growing and developing bonsai from seed, cuttings and other cultivated methods which requires patience and often several decades. But the end result is the same a beautiful, artistic living work of art. When creating from collected and old trees, the artist makes a bonsai using an established tree and attempting to work around plant features, trying to solve “problems” or unusual shapes often requiring design comprises to create art which requires less time than growing and developing “cultivated bonsai,” from young material, like cuttings, seed and younger trees right from the beginning from which really requires long periods of time. However, when training a cultivated bonsai there should be no excuse for not developing an ideal shape; while working with old and collected trees, one must actually work with what you have (because focal points have already been selected) or to add branches or trunks to develop distinctive work of art.

Basically, one method uses “subtraction,” and the other method requires “addition or growing” necessary branches to develop an almost “ideal” shape. Both of these methods are excellent and rewarding which often requires the use both methods. One method is not better than the other.

Both father and son Takeyama specialize in creating forest, rock planting or using unusual deciduous species. Since this these are my favorite group of bonsai, I appreciate the time and talent the Takeyama family have contributed to the bonsai world.

Attached are several images I took which I found interesting in my study of classical bonsai art.

More to come….

I love unusual plants for their distinctive sizes, structures, foliage, fruit and growth characteristics. About ten years ago Darlene Hutt from Ohio posted her Ryusen weeping Japanese maple garden tree on the Bonsai Nut Forum. The severe winter of 2014 decimated her weeping Japanese landscape garden tree and all that was alive was the lower branch. All the dead branches were removed and all she had now was a tree with a weeping branch. She potted it and posted an image of it calling it a potted tree, not bonsai.

I saw the image and immediately wanted to purchase it, as the cultivar and shape interested me. Darlene could not sell the maple because it’s her husband’s favorite tree. She provided the photos and information on her training a Ryusen weeping Japanese maple bonsai beginning in 2014.

Darlene Hutt Ryusen Weeping Japanese Maple Bonsai Development

May 20i4

October 2017

October/November 2017

February/March 2019

April/May 2019

March 2020

March/April 2020

March 2021

March 2021

August/October 2023

October 2023

April 2024

October 2024

So, I had to visit a local garden center in June 2020 and got lucky! They had several Ryusen weeping Japanese maples growing in three-gallon pots. I carefully studied the plants, removed a bit of surface soil and selected the tree with the best graft union and root base for $75. I should have returned and bought them all, but unfortunately did not, as I was uncertain about the cultivar and shape.

So now I’m interested with this cultivar and want to know all about Ryusen weeping Japanese maple and began researching knowledgeable sources, and would like to share some information.

Valavanis Ryusen Weeping Japanese Maple Bonsai Development

April 2020

Trunk base

June 2020

November 2020 October 2021

August 2022

October 2023

I could not find the rebar needed for forming an interesting cascade trunk, so I used a Rough bark Japanese maple branch which was removed a few years ago from my original Arakawa Japanese maple which is about 40 years old. Even a surface root, about five feet from the main trunk has rough bark!

March 2024

Trunk base August 2024

August 2024

November 2024

Ryusen Weeping Japanese Maple History

There are well over 1,000 different cultivars of Japanese maples. They vary from seed, some grow variegated foliage or have other distinctive features horticulturists search for. There are several different Japanese maples with weeping shapes. Ryusen weeping Japanese male was introduced to the world by the Kobayshi Momiji-en nursery in Saitama Prefecture, near the Omiya Bonsai Village. It was found and selected by Kazuhara Kobayashi in 1990.

This chance seedling came from the cultivar ‘Jiro Shidare,’ which was named after the elder nurseryman Jiro of the Kobayashi Momiji-en. This tree comes from the lineage of Nakamando Weeping Japanese maple which is a national treasure in Japan and over 400 years old, growing in a temple in Fukushima Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

This tree was first introduced to the United States under the name ’Ryusei’ (Dragon Spirit) from several different nurseries such as Highland Creek Nursery which Mr. Maple Nursery purchased in 2013 and Buchholz Nursery purchased last year. It was later brought over by Ozzie Johnson and patented by ItSaul Plants in 2006 under the name of ‘Ryusen.’ 

Description

Ryusen weeping Japanese maple PP#18,501 is a new pendulous Japanese maple with palmate foliage and amazing form. This small, elegant tree adds a unique form with an exotic appeal. The spring new growth is chartreuse green which contrasts with the older dark-green foliage. The summer foliage is dark green and is a dependable maple for brilliant reddish/orange leaves.

Dependable autumn coloring

This amazing small form of weeping Japanese maple is extremely pendulous and the unique shape makes it ideal for specimen garden trees, container grown ornamentals and of course bonsai training. One of my students has a few growing in hanging baskets which create a focal point in his garden. It can be used in many different creative forms in the garden with staking and pruning.

It is very heat tolerant and winter hardy in the USDA 5-9 zones, including Rochester, New York, even when container grown. It is easy to shape with wire and rebar and only takes one season to hold the new desired shape. I have not tried to defoliate the tree to encourage smaller foliage and twig ramification.

The above information was provided by Tim Nichols co-owner of Mr. Maple Nursery with his brother, Matt in North Carolina. They are the premier source for over 1,000 different Japanese maple cultivars plus a wide assortment of unique woody ornamentals. The two brothers, second generation Japanese maple growers, are interested in promoting Japanese maples and information. They have a weekly podcast plus daily YouTube videos, all well produced and interesting. They even have a Mr Maple Show! They are primarily a mail order nursery and carefully pack and ship plants around the country. Mr Maple the best source for Ryusen weeping Japanese maples and have an impressive catalog and presence on the web

Check out: WWW.MrMaple.com  to see what they offer.

Check out their excellent video on Ryusen Weeping Japanese maples

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9dmImQKb0M