Just viewing
Eisei-en Bonsai and seeing the Itoigawa Shimpaku Juniper... I feel it is not the way they actually grow and or look....and feel there is a general, typical need to style in this manner, I understand and acknowledge that some Pruning & Adjusting may be in order to closer resemble the Bonsai look, however when and why do we cross the line from original looking to some bizarre looking tree...???
If you look carefully, there is a little metal tag hanging from the bottom right branch. It is a designation that states that the tree is an “Important Cultural Masterpiece”. I don’t know how many bonsai have been awarded such a designation, but it is a great honor.
Now, as for the styling, it is styled using the “pagoda” style, mimicking the temples.
Bjorne is a master of that style. In Japan, it is very popular, and there is a market for trees styled on that manner. Bjorne also uses the techniques when styling other types, he is known for putting very straight, level bottoms of pads on his work. Again, this is very marketable in Japan. Not on shinpaku, but also JWP.
I personally prefer a softer style, more like what Kimora and Suzuki do, but I respect the skill and patience it takes to do what Bjorn does. I asked him about it at the Nationals, and his response was he wires and styles thinking about what the tree will look like in a year after new growth has come in. Immediately after wiring, the tree does look a bit artificial, but a year later it softens up and looks more natural.