Bonsai Garden and Koi Ponds in Japan?

yenling83

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I'm considering building a Koi Pond in my garden someday. I'm curious if anyone has any pictures or videos of Bonsai gardens with a pond? I'm curious what the relationship between the pond and trees looks like. I've only seen pictures of a couple.

One being Kunio Kobayashi-
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And the other being Masahiko Kimura-However the fish don't seem to be near the trees.

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GrimLore

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Japanese gardens follow no exact pattern although never symmetrical, but never wild... There are aesthetics practiced throughout time and change somewhat during various periods. To answer you correctly I "think" would go something like this - The relationship with the trees and water you mention should look natural, but not wild. That is of course if you want to follow traditional design. There is a lot more to it then that depending on how precise you want to get. For example if a rock you collect for your garden was collected horizontal, then placed vertical on display it will bring bad fortune...
There is some fairly good information at Wiki, giving an overall good description over time but it is not a rule book - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_garden. I would strongly recommend contacting Ben Oki http://www.benokibonsai.com/bonsai1.html about what reading he would recommend if you want to go with tradition.
In short - It is your landscape and your choice(s) ;)

Note: KOI were developed by the Chinese and started being used by the Japanese somewhere around the 1820's :oops:

Grimmy
 

johng

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I took one tour to Japan in 2000... I was expectng lots of Koi and saw only very low quality fish in public parks...none in any of the bonsai gardens visited....
Kimura's fish aren't Koi...the pond is part of his garden which is completely seperate from his trees.

In 2000 Kobayshi didn't have a pond! Looks like a nice one now!
 

johng

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Certainly LOOK like Koi so what do you call them:confused:?
If you think the ones in Kimura's pond look like Koi you obviously don't know much about Koi....No color, much larger...I've seen a lot of Koi but these are the only ones I've seen of this fish...don't know what the name is...perhaps you should ask your buddy what they are?

Check out this link...scroll way down...
https://brendenstudio.wordpress.com/tag/mr-kimura/
 

GrimLore

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Certainly LOOK like Koi so what do you call them:confused:?

No color, much larger...

If Koi are left to reproduce/mate uncontrolled they revert back to the species of carp they were derived from. I suspect that is what we see there.

Grimmy
 

johng

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If Koi are left to reproduce/mate uncontrolled they revert back to the species of carp they were derived from. I suspect that is what we see there.

Grimmy

Not this time...these are not even related to Koi and some in that pic are 5' long! I don't think they are albino either...they did not have red eyes.

Uncontrolled breeding would never be the case in a pond like Kimura's...when you do see that happen, the body shape and size are still the same, it is only the color that reverts.
 

GrimLore

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Not this time...these are not even related to Koi and some in that pic are 5' long! I don't think they are albino either...they did not have red eyes.

Uncontrolled breeding would never be the case in a pond like Kimura's...when you do see that happen, the body shape and size are still the same, it is only the color that reverts.

Good information, I guess they are meant for the smokehouse :p

Grimmy
 
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