$50 a head to visit Mirai?!

coh

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,781
Reaction score
6,822
Location
Rochester, NY
USDA Zone
6
Not sure how I feel about this. I mean, it's his place and charging $50 probably keeps out the riff-raff. I know he talks a lot about how he won't sell trees to just any yahoo who walks in off the street so it makes sense in that context. Plus time is money and he has a pretty large staff now that needs to be paid.

On the other hand, I'm a known cheapskate and don't know if I'd be willing to pony up $50 to visit, especially after all the dollars I've dropped on the livestream.

Guess it's working for him which is really all that matters.
 

MrWunderful

Omono
Messages
1,457
Reaction score
1,952
Location
SF Bay area
USDA Zone
10b
Honestly, I probably would charge too if I was in his situation.

Its not a publicly owned and volunteer curated collection.

Would easily pay 50$ for a one on one guided tour with ryan or troy as well as a mirai member. Bet you would get your moneys worth of knowledge if you just bounced questions off them.
 

Djtommy

Omono
Messages
1,551
Reaction score
5,367
Location
Tokyo
I’m visiting Portland in october, thought about passing by Ryan’s garden. Is it also 50$ just to visit without a tour? Kokufu entrance is half of that for 2 days.
 

Potawatomi13

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,168
Reaction score
4,403
Location
Eugene, OR
USDA Zone
8
Wisest suggestion is contact Ryan about it and is there charge for non guided visit:confused:? NEVER hurts to ask.
 

Potawatomi13

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,168
Reaction score
4,403
Location
Eugene, OR
USDA Zone
8
Gonna be in Portland next week, and was considering stopping by Bonsai Mirai. I will have my wife and daughter with me, so it would have taken some political capitol expenditure :) Checked out their web site to see what their visitor policy was... and was stunned to see they charge $50 per head just to VISIT. $150 just to walk through the nursery?

Mirai Visits

Any time I see something like this I am always a little confused. Is this their way of saying "we don't really want visitors?" Or "we don't sell retail"? I always thought they sold trees, but apparently not. Guess the streaming video business is wildly lucrative :) I'm more than a little saddened, because bonsai always has the risk of coming off as a "rich person's hobby", when it is anything but. This is not a particularly inclusive policy. :(

I'd strongly consider NOT taking a kid there. Can you begin to imagine how you'd like one of them around your high dollar old Yamadori trees? It's hard enough for me to keep my hands off and not kick or trip on something there(or anywhere). I also agree Michael is a great guy to visit but contact him first.
 

Bonsai Nut

Nuttier than your average Nut
Messages
12,421
Reaction score
27,873
Location
Charlotte area, North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
I'd strongly consider NOT taking a kid there. Can you begin to imagine how you'd like one of them around your high dollar old Yamadori trees? It's hard enough for me to keep my hands off and not kick or trip on something there(or anywhere). I also agree Michael is a great guy to visit but contact him first.

Well not that you'd know this but... my daughter is an adult. She's probably been to more bonsai nurseries than most site members 😂
 

Cable

Omono
Messages
1,371
Reaction score
2,188
Location
Sheffield Village, Ohio
USDA Zone
6a
My first thought was that it was outrageous and then I thought about how it would feel to be hard at work concentrating on trees while getting interrupted every 15 minutes by tourists who think bonsai trees are neato but know nothing about them nor care to learn. So I get it.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,412
Reaction score
10,638
Location
Netherlands
I don't get it. I know a lot of people with workshops open to visitors; they either work in a separate area, or they have volunteers (retirees, special needs people, interns, trainees) to do tours.
A guided tour through our biggest museums are roughly 25 bucks.
 

LanceMac10

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,798
Reaction score
17,176
Location
Nashua, NH U.S.A.
USDA Zone
5
Gonna be in Portland next week, and was considering stopping by Bonsai Mirai. I will have my wife and daughter with me, so it would have taken some political capitol expenditure :) Checked out their web site to see what their visitor policy was... and was stunned to see they charge $50 per head just to VISIT. $150 just to walk through the nursery?

Mirai Visits

Any time I see something like this I am always a little confused. Is this their way of saying "we don't really want visitors?" Or "we don't sell retail"? I always thought they sold trees, but apparently not. Guess the streaming video business is wildly lucrative :) I'm more than a little saddened, because bonsai always has the risk of coming off as a "rich person's hobby", when it is anything but. This is not a particularly inclusive policy. :(





"....stings the nostrils......" That's pretty steep, but it's his yard so I figure he can charge what he likes.
ANCHORMAN.gif



.......but no, this would not dissuade some one from the thought that this is a "rich man's hobby" and certainly not inclusive.....




of course you could name drop that YOUR @Bonsai Nut ....

anchorman3.gif

.....UMMM.....maybe not....
:D....my work computer doesn't like emojis, so we get the one. Yahoooooo Friday!!!!!!!!
 

atlarsenal

Omono
Messages
1,294
Reaction score
4,812
Location
Kennesaw, GA
USDA Zone
7b
@Bonsai Nut I thought you were a Mirai member? It’s only $25, not sure about the rest of the family. Like @LanceMac10 said tell them who you are, they will probably pay you to come in! ;)
 

Vance Wood

Lord Mugo
Messages
14,002
Reaction score
16,911
Location
Michigan
USDA Zone
5-6
Sometimes it is fascinating to watch some thing destroy itself. I love Ryan's work but to me personally it is not worth $50 to come and see it. I hope it works for him. After all; it is the bonsai community that supports him and without that community It will most certainly die. If it is not possible to make converts of the un-washed, un-educated and un-informed individuals that would not know a bonsai from a ham sandwich to pay $50 to walk through the front door eventually the wealthy fountain will dry up.
 
Last edited:

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
Messages
14,182
Reaction score
22,184
Location
Fairfax Va.
USDA Zone
7
That's a hard pill to swallow.....being spoiled at the National Arboretum in DC, for free (of course nothing is free, its taxpayer funded, but you know what I'm saying.)
Much more interesting trees with long pedigrees and histories at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum...People there, from the volunteers to the staff, will talk to you for free. Heck, I'll only charge $5 a head for a half-assed tour
;)

As for tourists traipsing through...c'mon...The National Bonsai Museum and National Arb. have literally busloads of people arriving every day. ALL of those run through the bonsai exhibit. The trees are placed out of reach behind discreet barriers so screwing around with them is difficult--but it does happen...Ryan's not going to get that kind of crowd though. He's high end and no one unfamiliar with bonsai is going to seek him out.

BTW, anyone know what Dan Robinson charges to get into Elandan?
 
Last edited:

BrianBay9

Masterpiece
Messages
2,754
Reaction score
5,381
Location
Fresno, CA
USDA Zone
9
Perhaps if that $50 were then waived if you spent at least $50 on products or services it would seem more acceptable. If he doesn't want visitors he should say so. Of course that will cut down on on-site customers but perhaps he doesn't want them? I know that I avoid bonsai operations that are "by appointment only". I'd love to see some of them, but I feel obligated to buy something if I go, so mostly I don't.
 

MrWunderful

Omono
Messages
1,457
Reaction score
1,952
Location
SF Bay area
USDA Zone
10b
It strikes me as a meaningless comparison for some of y’all to evaluate a small private business’ fees against those of large public institutions with benefactors and volunteers 🤔

I agree. It doesnt appear that Ryan is looking to make money of entrance fees to his garden. My opinion is that his goal is high level bonsai education, and turning out specimen trees. Not family outing day with a kids running through the garden.

Keep in mind Mirai isnt set up like the arboretum, with single display trees behind velvet ropes with a big placard talking about it. Its just a ton of benches with multiple trees all next to each other. All it takes is for one over zealous kid to pull down a cascade yamadori juniper to have a huge monetary impact, not to mention an ancient tree that may be killed.
 
Top Bottom