Tag Archives: Japan

Koya-san Day Trip

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For my summer vacation, which consisted of three glorious days off in a row, I decided to go to Kyoto Botanical Garden for a day, sleep a day, and spend the final one experiencing Koya-san.  My intended trip to Fuji-san had to be canceled due to lack of $.  Happy to see the photos from Tyler Sherrod, a fellow Southerner’s trip up to the top.   Perhaps next year. Day 1:  Kyoto Botanical Garden.  This place is definitely worth visiting during the peak tourism seasons of cherry blossom season or Fall.  As with any respectable botanical garden, there’s always something going on or blooming.  Most of my time was spent in “zonal denial” at the Conservatory.  Seeing all the tropicals, orchids, and desert plants was dangerous and inspiring at the same time.  The bonsai collection there was not worth seeing on it’s own merit, but admirable that there is effort put forth to promote the art to the public.  Lack of photos here on a bonsai blog means something.  The conservatory and overall garden experience however, was excellent.

My new favorite flower Hibiscus schitzopetalus.

   Cyrtostachys lakka(left) and a section of the massive rose garden (right).

Old Cycas revoluta (sago palm) colony in the Victorian Garden.

Day 2:  Sleep Time

Day 3:  Trip to Koya-san.  Koya-san is home to the Japanese headquarters of Shingon Buddhism.  If you’re in the Kansai Region of Japan and have the time, this place is worth killing a day to see.

 Mt. Koya is in Wakayama Prefecture about two hours south of Osaka by train.  The site was chosen in 816 for a Buddhist monastery as it was far removed from the politics and distractions of city life.  The town sits on a flat-topped mountain surrounded by 8 nearby peaks.  To this day, it’s still pretty far removed from any major cities, although getting there no longer requires three plus days of hiking up and down mountains.  It is the starting point and terminus of the famous 88 Temple Shikoku Pilgrimage so some people still walk there : ). Some cultural and religious sites in Japan have become tourist traps, but Koya-san has done well keeping things balanced with around half the temples (there are about 100 there) providing lodging . Koya-san Tourism Association is top-notch.  Enough foreigners have come to warrant English language guided tours (for FREE) and plenty of maps and hand-outs with directions like “you will not go home if you are not on the 9:15 pm train back to Osaka”.  First thing I did upon arrival was hit their office. Next stop was the Garan, which means “clean and quiet place” in Sanskrit.  As with many important Buddhist places, this one was first a Shinto site first.  This area is home to the original meditation hall, temples, and other important buildings seen below.

     Next was Kongobugi (Vajra Peak) Temple.  In Japan, this is the Shingon Buddhism HQ.  While many monasteries have burned due to war, Koya-san’s buildings have always burned due to lightning.  Following the lead of Oda Nobunaga’s destruction of Hiezan, Toyotomi Hideoshi was intent on destroying this powerful monastic community.  However, he was persuaded to back off and later became a major patron of this site.  He also commited seppoku (ritual suicide) at this temple.  Japan has got to be the most fire paranoid country on the planet.  National Fire Safety and Preparedness day was last week.  Check out the permanent buckets of water on the roof and prepped ladder.

 Inside, there were tons of foreign tourists taking flash photography of all the screen paintings and I cringed with each flash; for the damage to the priceless artwork and the shamelessness of these foreigners to move the “no photos” (in multiple languages) sign for a better angle…..  Shortly before leaving for Japan, Ryan Neil told me “Remember, you’re representing a lot more than just yourself over there”.  So true.

One of Kongobugj’s claims to fame is that it has the largest karesansui (dry landscape) garden in Japan.  Big does not always mean good though; for bonsai and gardens.

My favorite garden was in the back of the temple complex.  The design is fairly simple, but clever shaping of individual plants in the garden proper as well as the perimeter screening plants was impressive.  So much depth and texture even when the pieris, rhododendrons, and azleas are not in bloom.

The craftsmanship and artwork inside of Kongobuji is impressive but you’ll have to check out their site or visit one day.  Between this temple and Okunoin, I wandered in and out of about 10 Buddhist and Shinto sites.  It’s interesting seeing Sanskit inscriptions and distinctly Indian embellishments with Japanese architecture.

  

A Shinto shrine at the end of a very steep ascent (left).  The oldest and largest Koyamaki niwaki I’ve seen.  Koyamaki, known to us as Sciadopitys verticillata or Umbrella Pine, is so named because it is so common in this area.  The straight species can reach 40′ tall x 20′ wide in the wild but most stay conical or columnar and much smaller in the garden.  Graves here are not decorated with flowers, but with branches of Koyamaki.

My last stop of the day was Okunoin; a massive cemetery almost 2 kilometers long and containing over 200,000 grave sites.  The most important being a mausoleum or “place of eternal meditation” as it is referred to here for Kobo Daishi (Kukai).  Two meals are still made every day in offering.  Grave sites are interspersed throughout the old-growth Cryptomeria japonica forest.  A great place to observe cryptomeria not shaped by man but so easy to get up close to.  I’d read about a monument erected by an extermination company in apology to the billions of insects they kill but alas, could not find it in my wanderings.      

  

Grave site for people with no remaining family members to pray for them. The monks take this responsibility on.  Bibs are often placed on statues of the Jizo Bosatsu; protector of children in this life and the after-life

Without planning this at all, my day at Koya-san fell on the Rosoku Matsuri (Candle Festival) held annually to provide solace to the souls of family members.  Massive amounts of candles are distributed to be lit along both sides of the 2 km path.

  

 

 

 

 

 

Rain really put a (excuse the pun) damper on things, but made for some nice photo snapping moments.  I was lucky to make it back to the bus and cable-car final trips.  Home by 1:30 am and ready for another day of bonsai work…..

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

Satsuki Azaleas

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The creation and refinement of satsuki azalea bonsai basically put Kouka-en on the bonsai map.  Kouka-en means “Light Feeling of Flower Garden”.  While we don’t currently have many azaleas now, many of the best satsuki bonsai in the world came through Kouka-en during the “Satsuki Boom”.  The only satsuki here now are ones I’ve purchased in order to learn the ins and outs of creation and refinement.  Bonsai gardens often evolve with the times (or perish) and this garden now tends to have about half conifers and half deciduous and broadleaf evergreens.  I am by no means a satsuki expert.  However, I’ve learned a few solid tips and tricks so far that are good to know.  On a side note, there are two Kouka-en bonsai gardens in Osaka, Japan.  One currently specializes in satsuki azaleas and was highlighted in a World of Bonsai Episode.  The Kouka-en I study at is often referred to as Fujikawa Kouka-en.  People always ask me about how my satsuki studies are going and finally figured out why.

All techniques presented below are what I learned under the instruction of Minoru Fujikawa, my sensei’s father.  He discusses the Satsuki Boom in an interview for the Bonsai Art of Japan Series HERE  There are numerous ways to train, create, and style satsuki azaleas.  Some of the best satsuki I’ve ever seen were under the care of Joe Harris while I was interning at Iseli Nursery in Boring, Oregon back in 2005.  I’m not the only game in town; figured sharing a few super secret ninja tricks would be nice  : ).

Last June, all of the satsuki I have were re-potted, defoliated, and wired.  Ideally, all flower buds should be removed before defoliation and all the other stressors these plants endured.  But, for the sake of instruction and enjoyment of the flowers, I carried out defoliation, branch removal, wiring, and repotting over a few days of work after the blooms faded.  When defoliating satsuki, we remove  80-90% of the foliage.  This will force the plants to flush again as well as produce adventitious branches everywhere.  Leaving a lot of foliage (say half) may not shock the plant into the desired response and you could lose some limbs.  Another good way to lose limbs is to leave satsuki fruit to mature.  Removal of the forming fruit will prolong the life of your bonsai for sure.

All my satsuki were repotted into pure sieved kanuma with a larger particle size kanuma for the drainage layer.    

There is nothing more nerve-wracking than having a former Kokufu judge and satsuki expert watching you wire…..

This year, the flower show was even better than last due to increased ramification and healthier plants.

           

    

As mentioned, the purpose of this post is to share a few super secret ninja techniques for satsuki azaleas.  The first is a technique for slowly bending heavier branches and trunks.  There are specialty tools such as jacks and benders commercially available, but this is an old-school way.  Basically, you install a piece of rebar as an anchor point and secure it by jamming it into the soil if possible, binding it to the trunk with padding, or both.  Make a single wire loop and  attach to the rebar.  Then take a long piece of wire and fold it in half.  Put the U-shaped bend (middle of the wire) around the trunk at the bending point with some cushioning to protect the bark and twist the wire until it’s tight around the trunk.  with the remaining wire, bridge the gap between the trunk and the wire loop connected to the rebar.  Make another loop forming a “figure 8″ shape, then overlap the two loops.  Make a “key” out of copper wire like in the center of the photo and twist the two loops together until they start winding onto the “key”.  Twist until you get close to the desired bend, then wait a day or two and twist a little more.  Using aluminium wire for the loops isn’t as harsh on the tree as copper for small trees.  For a bigger satsuki, use heavy copper wire and a better bracing system.  I know, it’s vague, but difficult to type instructions for this.  Who doesn’t like a challenge?    Here is a video showing the technique in action.  Satsuki Trunk Bending!

 

The previous owner was definitely selling this tree for the flowers and not for a practicing bonsai hobbyist who knew what was up.

For this post,  I also bought a new satsuki to play with that had a basic branch structure laid out, but had almost no fine branching work done.

All Rhododendron species are basal dominant; meaning they have more vigor naturally near the soil level and prefer to produce new shoots over sustaining older apical shoots.  This is the case of pretty much everything we call a “shrub” or “bush” with a few exceptions.  Apical dominance would be the other type when discussing woody plants.  Apically dominant plant examples are trees that prefer to have a central leader like oaks and maples when young.  I make mention of this characteristic of satsuki and other Rhododendrons because allowing the lower branches to get too strong or leaving new shoots near the base of a bonsai will weaken the apical branches.

This bonsai was not too pricey mainly because the lower section of trunk did not have good bends and a large old cut mark is still present.  The original front became the back for my design.  Styling consisted consisted of a mix of shearing, branch removal, and wiring.  

The second super secret ninja technique I’m sharing is the use of padding for your wire to protect the fragile bark.  Neither of these techniques are new and in fact both are older than me.  The lower section of this azalea had everything set pretty well.  Th apex however, needed some work.  As with any bonsai-related product, labels smothered in kanji characters always make the product work so much better.

Preparing a wire is a matter of tying off one end of your protective paper and then spiral-wrapping it evenly along.  Tie off the other end or hold in place as you wire.  Receipt paper for a cash register works as do paper towels.  This particular product just looked cooler and made me feel special….  

 

Nothing else is different about application or the like; this just gives you a little leeway while the wire does it’s work with a decreased risk of cutting in.

 

It’s not pretty, but it works.  This azalea was wired about three months ago and I let the wire cut in on a few branches.  Every branch wired using the padded wire had only minor dents or marks.  Many of the others which had the same size wire applied without padding looked bad.

 

The finished product after a new front was chosen, unnecessary branches removed, and wiring.  I have dubbed this tree “Quasimoto”.  Removal of more branches is necessary (especially the second one on the left side).

After wire removal, the branch above with padded wire had minimal denting.  The branch below had no protection.  

Thanks for reading.

Wisteria immersion at Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Shin-en Bot. Garden

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This is the follow-up post to my other recent post  Wisteria Bonsai.  Nara is a city full of history and should not be overlooked when visiting Japan.  The years of 710-794 are known as the Nara Period.  In 768 the capitol of Japan became Nara and the Fuiwara clan had Kasuga Taisha Grand Shrine built.  The grounds had been sacred to the Shinto faith for a very long time before and was likely a simple clearing in the ancient forest.  The shrine gained great prominence during the Heian Period.  I go no further with explanations as I have no business doing so.  Official Site Wisteria flowers are a symbol of Kasuaga Taisha and adorn the family crest of the Fujiwara clan.  After numerous questions and research, the most common symbolic meaning of wisteria is that of supplication or reverence (bowing flowers).  I’m sure there are other meanings as well. Perhaps just saying they are beautiful and moving on is best.   A few sources stated wisteria was the first plant to ever be referenced in poetry. Different plants have risen and fallen from grace here with Wisteria surpassing Prunus mume as the most popular during the Heian Period.   There are two types of wisteria commonly found Japan and for most of the garden world.  Wisteria floribunda aka “Nodafuji” (native to Japan) and Wisteria sinensis aka “Yamafuji” (imported from China).  My Japanese sources said there were two natives but I found no scientific literature to back that up.  Milletia japonica is called Himefuji, but not related.  Hence the danger of relying on common names.  If you call the Eastern United States home, we have Wisteria frutescens.  A cultivar called ‘Amythyst Falls’ seems very promising for use as bonsai stock.  America also has the two invasive non-natives and a wonderful hybrid of the two called Wisteria x formosa that eats small pets and nearby trees.  W. sinensis climbs counterclockwise while W. floribunda climbs clockwise.  There are a few other species, but rare.  Cultivars abound for the two commonly used Asian species and many are represented in my previous wisteria post and the bottom of this one. Wisteria have a symbiotic relationship with rhizobacteria so they can affix nitrogen.  Feeding with a nitrogen rich fertilizer is not reccomended; especially when flowers are desired as nitrogen will promote vegetative growth.  Young plants from seed may take years to develop short branches aka “spurs”.  Allowing plants to become pot-bound helps.  Another way is to provide mechanical stressors (my senior thesis) aka beating the crap out of the trunk to scare the plant into reproductive maturity.  Popular styles are semi / full cascade or an informal upright style.  Whatever shape you choose, the important thing is to give the racemes room to expand and fall.   On to the pretty pictures right?

The approach path up to Kasuga Taisha is about a kilometer long and lined with about 3000 stone lanterns; one for each Kasuga Taisha subsidiary shrine.  There are also plenty of “tame” Sitka deer          which have probably never foraged for food in their life.  All the ancient Cryptomeria japonica and wisteria vines in the primeval forest were truly amazing.

Only the lowest branches remain alive on this Cryptomeria. Likely the victim of lightning.

By far the largest single plant I've ever seen. I know, it doesn't come close to the one in California.....

Just inside the shrine, one of the two famous fujidana greets you.

Not massive, but with the historical preface, super cool.  A point Bjorn Bjornholm often makes about Japanese gardens is that gaining intimate knowledge of a place via dedicated research then seeing it in person allows for a whole new level of appreciation.  A flat rock is just a rock unless you learn it was the cornerstone of a Korean castle taken as a souvenir from a famous conquest.  This point can also be applied to bonsai in my opinion.  Some species and cultivated varieties take twice if not ten times as long to gain trunk girth or produce flowers / fruit.  It’s a matter of appreciation for the time and effort put into a bonsai.  An old formal upright Pinus parviflora is a good example.  It may not look “real”, but a truly good one is still amazing with all the careful attention to detail, branch placement, and knowledge of just how rare it is.

This 23 meter tall cryptomeria is estimated to be over 1000 years old. It appeared in a picture scoll called Gongen-kenki of Kasuga Taisha in 1309.

The cryptomeria above overlooks the clearing at the center of the shrine.  This area, called the “Apple Yard” was the place farmers and gatherers met to barter long before the current shrine was concieved.

The other famous fujidana, and my personal favorite, is in the back of the site.  

I could have spent the whole day wandering through the ancient forest surrounding Kasuaga Taisha’s main shrine.  Shinto sites are often easy to spot from a distance (especially in small towns) as they actually have trees above 20 feet tall surrounding them.  Places such as this have hundreds, sometimes thousands of acres protected from commercial logging indefinitely.

The Shin-en Bontanical Garden is an excellent place to visit almost year-round.  The gift shop had a bunch of lady-slipper orchids so I quickly left before buying something and headed towards the back of the site for more wisteria immersion.  Along the way, I passed this willow
and longed for some privacy and a shovel : ).

Shin-en has a number of ancient trees that blew over in a storm long ago named “The Reclining Dragons”.  I have yet to meet an old Camphor tree I did not like.     

 

This bot gardens claim to fame is it’s Manyo Collection.  A compilation called Man-yo-shu of 4,500 poems written by everyone from Emperors to peasants often references plants (1500/4500 poems).  Many are no longer in widespread cultivation, but preserved here with great care.  My favorite was this green flowering cherry.

Shin-en has over 20 types of wisteria species and cultivars.  The fujidana (wisteria arbors) were often connected forming tunnels and garden rooms.              

Creative methods of display and support were around every corner.  At one point I got lost and did not care; perhaps goal for every garden.  

Thanks for reading and I hope Nara will be put on your list of things to see when you visit Japan.  It’s great to read blogs, books, and magazines about this wonderful country.  However, ask anyone who has been here what it’s like in person and they will likely smile, then have trouble pin-pointing exactly what makes the trip worth it.

Bonsai Buying Trip and Byodo-in

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I try not to look at regional maps too much; I remember how close North Korea is!

A client, Miyashta-san (87) of Takefu contacted Fujikawa-san as he was interested in decreasing the size of his collection; especially the heavy trees.  Takefu (near Komatsu on the map) is on the coast of the main island of Honshu so this was my first chance to see the Sea of Japan.   Mr. Miyashta was a sucessful rice farmer and niwaki professional specializing in Winter preparation work; namely using rope to protect trees from snow loads.  He owns two of my favorite chuhin bonsai here (a root-over-rock Acer palmatum and Juniperus rigida).  Both were in the 85th and 86th Kokufu-ten respectively.  The tosho has been at Kouka-en for 12 years and showing it this year was the culmination of this project.

Getting to his house was an adventure in itself with 3 extra hours of traffic jams and narrow small-town roads.  The traverse of the final 100 meters was especially tense with wheels not completely on the road.

The first order of business was tempting him with a tosho bonsai we have been improving for the last few years.  He bit on the tosho and was happy to have a tree worked on by Kimura-san and for the last two or three years, us.

Oddly enough, one of the most difficult things for me on a road trip is appearing busy with no marching orders or tasks to complete.  You can’t wander aimlessly through a clients property or the like, so I weeded the remaining collection.  His kusamono collection was small but excellent.  After loading the van, I raced to get some photos while they settled up.

    

A few of the bonsai we acquired.

    

After that stop, we headed to a local bonsai and ceramics dealer in Sabae City called Sabae Engei.  The owner makes Bunzan pots.  I bought a few and again raced around photographing kusamono with interesting plant combinations.

The ride home was uneventful so I decided to try and get some interesting sign photos while doing 120 km / hour.

          

The robotic flag man looks like a much better investment….

Top floor of the museum. The majority is in an underground bunker.

As we appoached Kyoto on our way back home, Fujikawa-san asked (rhetorically) if we should stop at Byodo-in. Official Site  This event was a super rare chance on the order of pigs flying; especially during a work trip.  With an hour before closing we blew through and snapped a few quick photos.  Byodo-in has quickly become one of my favorite sites in Kyoto.  The ultra-modern museum blends very well into the landscape and there is perfect separation between this new structure and the 959 year old Phoenix Hall below. The museum is chock-full of national treasures  Going just to see the Bosatsu on Clouds would be worth the admission fee.  Another great success of this site is the separation of the temple and gardens from a bustling city that surrounds it.  In my opinion, the best gardens and historic sites in Japan make you forget what century it is : ).
My first visit with Fujikawa-san a few days before was a bit rushed so I returned on my next day off.  The temple will have almost two years worth of repairs done starting next month so it seemed like a good idea to experience this place without a bunch of walls hiding the good stuff.     The roof will be replaced on the hall and likely be painted the original flashy colors.  I fear the historically accurate restoration will change the feeling the whole place to that of a circus, but I’ve got my photos and memories of the current look.  The faded paintings on the doors and inside the Phoenix Hall leave something to the imagination.  A re-creation of this structure with something closer to the original color scheme is in Oahu, Hawaii.  Being a University of Georgia alumni, tacky orange colored things just don’t sit right with me…..  They should spend the money keeping the water clear.   A few more photos of the site for posterity:

        

That last one of me was for solidarity….

Thanks for reading.

Wisteria Bonsai

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With the dog days of summer upon us (in the Northern Hemisphere), it seemed like a good time to share a trip I took this Spring to immerse myself in the world of wisteria viewing.  Much like bamboo displays, wisteria bonsai have a light and cooling feeling.  Anyone who loves this genus should consider timing a trip to Japan.  There are many uber-famous wisteria viewing locations here; one being in Nara and the another in Kitakyushu.  The latter is a horticultural marvel I have yet to experience.  Hard to follow that kind of a showing, but Nara’s draw is especially nice for us bonsai nerds with a two-week-long wisteria only exhibition.  This show is put on by a bonsai professional specializing in Wisteria spp. and Prunus mume bonsai; two of the most water needy plants ever to be grown in a pot.  This exhibition is no small task.  The Nara Shokubutsuen (Botanical Garden) and Kasuaga Taisha Grand Shrine filled out my day.  As for information on styling and maintenance of wisteria in bonsai, I will leave that out for now.  Michael Hagedorn’s blog post covers some aspects well.  For now, crank down the thermostat and enjoy the flower show!

In an upcoming post, I’ll share some photos and history about the other wisteria “hot-spots” in Nara, Japan and this plant’s significance to Japanese culture.  The botanical garden there boasts 25 different species / cultivars of wisteria with a whole section of the grounds filled with Fujidana, or wisteria arbors, devoted to the annual Spring show.  Kasuga Taisha Grand Shrine has the oldest wisteria I’ve ever seen and two famous fujidana inside the shrine.  Outside the main walls, vines the size of horror movie anacondas dot the old-growth forest.

 

Thanks for reading and for all the support I’ve received thus-far.

A few kusamono

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Ophiopogon arabicus var. niger (black mondo grass), Sedum spp., and wild violet. Container by Erin Ceramics (United Kingdom). I made it this Spring.

An old kusamono here at Kouka-en. Combination of psilotum, sedum, spirea, and an aster.

Acorus graminus (variegated), Gaultheria procumbens, and a native grass. This one has been used in the Taikan-ten and Kokufu-ten many times. Container is a ceramic slab.

Selaginella spp, Trachelospurmum asiaticum 'Variegatum', and scarlet phlox but not sure. Container maker unknown. Used in the Kokufu-ten many times.

Variegated farfugium and Selaginella spp. combo. Theres a chochubai in there too. Container is a basket style pot.

Saxafraga fortunei, Artemesia, and Lamium in a container by Erin Ceramics. Made this Spring.

 

I  keep talking about kusamono with friends so felt like posting a few.  A few things to consider about kusamono (which literally translated means “weed thing”). Ninety-nine percent of the time, an immature feeling is not desirable when displaying kusamono as a companion plant in bonsai display.  The feeling of age should match the bonsai.  Kusamono displays where the main focus is not a bonsai are a completely different matter, but older ones tend to look a lot more cool.  Plants that are container-bound tend to reduce their leaf size and “tighten up” their internodes as well.

The first and last kusamono above (the ones I made) are not filling out the containers yet and the pots are completely visible.  Ideally, moss or the other plants in the container break up the line between the two main elements and the effect is a bit more smooth.  Notice in the other photos how there is a bit of mystery as to what the container looks like and the focus is not drawn to the pots.  The Erin pots are excellent; had them shipped to Japan if that says anything : ) but the plantings and pots are new.  In time the kusamono and pots will age and look ten times better.  The other kusamono are quite old.

This will be the first of many posts on kusamono.

Stewartia monadelpha

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While this species is not exactly easy to find outside of Japan, let alone as bonsai, the techniques presented here with some minor tweaks work for many deciduous tree species.  Stewartia monadelpha, aka Himeshara,  is also just plain cool so here goes….. One day I hope this species is as commonly available as a trident maples one day.  In the meantime, it can’t hurt to be exposed to the rationale behind styling of himeshara and the growth habits of the species.  As with many species of tree used for bonsai, the techniques I present here are not “the only game in town”.  This is what we do at Kouka-en, and have done so for multiple decades.

A few quick things to consider about Stewartia monadelpha are that the species prefers evenly moist and cool soil conditions. We cover all our trees with chopped sphagnum moss whether just repotted or not.  This species does not like to dry out and prefers some shade during the most intense parts of the summer.  Himeshara also has an extremely strong vertical growth habit.  Even branches guy wired or wired down regularly will inevitably lift back up.  Older branches form a sort of shoulder at the trunk union which is something to consider when working for a good tapering trunk.

This work was carried after the chaos of red and black pine and a welcome break from being cross-eyed all day pulling needles.  Here is the tree before work commenced.

This particular tree is one of a batch of Stewartia monadelpha bonsai grown from pencil-sized seedlings at Kouka-en.

A term I’m going to use often is “susoba“.  Susoba are the leaves at the base of a stem or new flush of growth that do not have a latent bud beneath the petiole.  Susoba comes from the words suso (meaning “cuff” like on your pants) and the word ha (meaining leaf).  The first step in the maintenance and styling of this tree was susoba removal and new shoot shortening (known as metsumi in Japanese).  These tasks were carried out together, but any areas that were not as full had only the susoba pulled.

This sequence below shows the susoba removal and shortening process:
          You could alternatively shorten the shoots as you wire, but after doing this a few times, it’s easier to know what will not be necessary.  With himeshara, it is best to leave 2-3 new buds on any given shoot as not all buds will pop reliably next spring; best to play it safe.  Any flower buds were also removed to conserve energy.  The flowers are beautiful and I leave a few then cut them off before seed capsules form.
This act of removing unnecessary foliage and shortening new growth really opens up the canopy for better light penetration to interior buds and shoots.  Also a hell of a lot easier to wire too.  Full defoliation of himeshara is possible, but doing so at the beginning of summer can be risky as the new foliage can easily fry or be attacked by fungal infection.  This process can cause some terminal buds to initiate shortly afterwards and these shoots will be extra sensitive to fungal attack or sun-scald much like trident or Japanese maples (which is a bit confusing……).  Acer palmatum is much easier to understand.  Latin names baby!
  

Before susoba removal and metsumi

As you can see, the difference is huge.  This process obviously decreases the photosynthetic potential of the tree, but this tree is being maintained; not being “built”.

After

If I wanted to increase the size of this tree, completely different training processes would be used.   Last year, only minor tweaks were done and a few wires are still on the tree.

Here is a before and after view of a lower branch to show from a different angle.

Then it was time to fully style the tree using aluminum wire (the bark is super soft) and copper for the guy wires; aluminum tends to stretch when tension is applied and a much thinner gauge of copper will do the same work and be less eye-catching.  Using a black Sharpie marker or lime sulphur will also hide guy wires even better.  The Sharpie trick is 100% American innovation : ).

As mentioned before, the natural habit of Stewartia monadelpha is strongly vertical. Wounds heal quickly and when a branch is removed properly, leave almost no trace of a scar.

A branch cut last year to prevent further inverse taper. A branch used to be on the other side as well, but removal of both at once is a bad idea.

Keeping this fact in mind while styling means branches should emerge upwards then drop back downwards as if the weight over years of growth has made them set more parallel to the ground.  Himeshara has an alternate leaf habit, so rhythmic movement not just front to back, but also up and down is important.  The good news is, an older tree (this one has been here for about 40 years) have their branch structure basically set, but need to be moved back to a desirable position.  My focus was the secondary branches, tertiary branches, and filling out the areas where branches had been removed.

Wiring is done to space branches out, prevent shading of underlying branches, increase chances of adventitious bud formation inside the canopy, and create aesthetically pleasing lines for appreciation during the time when the tree is leaf-less.  The final reason is the most important for display purposes but bonsai are not one-shot deals.  The best bonsai in the world have been re-styled, undergone drastic changes, suffered losses to disease and insects (humans too), etc. etc.  Truly inspirational bonsai have been cared for by attentive owners for a very long time with yearly maintenance practices.

Area before wiring.

This is about half-way up the tree. After wiring but before bending.

 

After bending the main branch into position.

 

Final placement including fine branching on secondary and tertiary shoots. The change is impressive. Notice there is a gradual taper to the outer silhouette as your eye progresses up the tree. This will be more give the bonsai a soft, natural feeling when the leaves drop.

With a single main branch, I have filled a great deal of negative space and the main branch has not moved at all.  The real trick is making sure the tree looks good naked.  I guess that’s what we are all after right? : ).  A branch removed the year before just above this point has left a gap.  See if you can spot how I fix this issue in the final product photos……

To bring out the color of the bark, we use a fabric glove.  A toothbrush and water works too.

Left side after styling was complete.

 

 

 

 

 

Apex close-up. I used the top-secret "take vertical branch and flop forward" maneuver. Future new shoots will pop and round out the apex. Nothing I can do at this point but wait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Styling complete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, the positives on this tree are excellent nebari, almost perfect taper, good health, and strong presence.  The flaws would be it lacks a little bit of ramification in some areas and the obvious new scar visible from the front.  We grow our himeshara for optimum branch placement, taper, and nebari.  This requires even more time to create.  Careful attention to detail throughout the years of training has produced this result.  Here are a few Stewartia monadelpha from the Kokufu  show and vendor area this year:

 

This one actually came from Kouka-en, but was sold to another pro then the next day had a new owner..... I really wanted this Prunus mume bad.

 

 

A baby off to a pretty good start, but the healed over wounds should have been gauged deeper to account for the heavy callus formation.

Nice tree, but half-way up the first major chop is still evident and the branches lack taper. Excellent ramification.

Informal upright with a "rushed" apex.

 

 

This is a Stewartia monadelpha at the Kokufu-ten exhibited by Shinji Suzuki. It’s a big-un. I think it may have eaten an apprentice or two.   At a minimum, it strained some backs.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading.  Apologies for all the spam and fake comments.  Issues will be resolved shortly.

Juniperus rigida “Test”

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Since arriving in Japan, I’ve done full styling projects on a a ton of trees.  The majority are what we refer to as “lesson trees” that aren’t spectacular bonsai by Japanese standards, but have issues needing resolution to be set on the right path.  This particular Juniperus rigida, aka “Tosho”, was a slightly different project.

Every now and then, I’m given an opportunity to take a rough tree and do what I like.  There is an understanding that I must make it marketable of course, and as with most things related to apprenticeship, it’s a test.

If the project turns out well, all is well in the the world.  If I fail, well, you don’t fail : ).  That would mean constant reminders of what mistake you made for the next week or so ad nasuem.  ”Please water that maple.  It’s dry.  Oh, and don’t forget that your spacing between branches on oak bonsai needs to account for the size density of the leaves”.    You get the idea.  On to the tree…..The inital shape of this tree had some serious issues to resolve.  The lowest branches were straight, lacked interest, and did not match the rest of the tree.  The top half had not been pruned in a while.  Choosing a great “front” for this tree was important.  This particular tree was field grown and a bunch of twists and turns were put into it in a predictable manner.  The “barber pole” twist in the middle of the trunk line really bugged me, so this took precedent when picking a front.  The front I chose best links the base of the tree to the apex by softening the curves.

This is the "rough cut" version. I made it look pretty after repotting.

Bunjin to me are all about the trunk line,feeling of age, and embodyment of a life of hardship.  A trunk line that is too curvy looks contrived while one too straight (in this particular instance) would be boring.  I must admit a bit of an addiction to bunjin trees.  However, my first inclination is not to slice and dice to force a style on any tree.  Doing so is not only risky, but in my opinion you’re relying on your ego and not working within a reasonable framework.  This tree was asking for it though : ).  The main reason being the top and bottom halves did not match.  A pet peeve I have is jins that look like a branch that used to be part of the design just died.  Not all dead branches need to be jin.  On this particular project, the lowest right branch was completely deleted as a jin there would conflict with the line of the trunk.  Wiring bunjin bonsai is always a joy and an ordeal at once.  You may only have a few branches to wire, but every bend and tweak must be precisely calculated.  Drastic re-stylings like this are also risky for the health of the tree.  I left a few extra branches in the apex and more branches along the base of the trunk to give the future owner some liberties in choosing the future direction of the tree.

I apologize for the lack of progression photos;  I was filming this project for the Bonsai Art of Japan Series before it  became a blog post…..Two weeks later, a new flush of growth has popped and that signals a window to repot safely.  Tosho are one of the last species of plant we repot at Kouka-en.  If you ever wonder how to care for a species new to you, one solid lead will be to look into where it’s native to.  What altitude can it live at?  Does it live near water?  How hot / cold does it get there?  Another solid lead is observation of the plants behavior.  In the case of Tosho, the Spring flush is later than most.  So, repot later than most.  The first flush of growth tells you sap is flowing and the tree is physiologically active.  Many species are repotted as new growth emerges at Kouka-en.  One exception is Fagus japonica, as beech do not respond well to the procedure and should be repotted just before the buds swell.

There is a convenient window to repot Tosho after you pinch the first flush of growth back. Wait until the second flush of the year is emerging and get to it.  Tosho in general do not like to have aggressive repotting work done to them.  I pushed this tree as far as I felt comfortable after removing over half the branches.  Review the following pics and think about what stick out as being “off”.

Issue #1 What is wrong with this section of the tree?

Issue #2 How about here? (apex view from left side)

Issue #3 One more. How about here?

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the future, the live veins that feed each branch will swell and shari can be made up and down the tree. The barber pole twist in the middle will then become an asset instead of a fault as the deletion of the likely half the bark on the trunk will give the tree an even lighter feeling.  I may not get a chance to do this work as Mr. Sakamoto came to Kouka-en today and purchased the bonsai.  He’s a bit of a bunjin fan too.

It was definitely not alright for me to interrupt, so a covert shot of the deal will have to suffice.  I passed the test by the way  : ).

So how about the three issues above?  Issue #`1 refers to the gap between the dropping branch and the trunk line.  ”Holes” like this draw the eye and are distracting.   The bends I put into the tree were a compromise of what I hoped for and what was possible with the material during the first styling.  Issue #2 is the funky bend I used to make the branch look shorter than it actually was from the front.  Bunjin trees often have what some people call “character branches”.  Something unexpected or unconventional that makes the composition interesting.  Issue #3 is that the apex is too full and there are not enough spaces between branches.  In the future, I’d remove about half the apical branches to lighten the feeling and bring a better harmony to the whole tree.

Bonsai is not a cut and dry event, but about forward progress.  This tree is a good example of that.  It is by no means ready to rock, but has been set on a new path.

Thanks for reading.