The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum and Village

Clicio

Masterpiece
Messages
3,002
Reaction score
8,299
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
USDA Zone
11a
Hi folks.
I am back from Japan, where I had the opportunity to buy some nice tools at the Kaneshin factory and to visit some bonsai nurseries.
Top place was the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Saitama, near Tokyo.
I will post some pictures below with some of the trees, but...
First things first: as this is not my first trip to Japan nor my first bonsai show over there, this time I have paid more attention to the details, so...
1-) ALL trees (not only the ones inside, on exhibition) had moss on them.
2-) ALL trees had tea bags with Biogold on their soil.
3-) Trees on exhibition (pictures forbidden unfortunately...) stay inside the Museum for one week, then back outside; so the trees inside are always different from the previous week.
4-) NO glazed colorful pots.
5-) No stumps with some foliage on top.

Below the pictures in a sequence.
All pictures are by myself, only exception is the second one showing the tokonoma, as it is forbidden to take photographs inside the museum and I grabbed it from their website.

BonsaiVillage_0001.jpg
.View from the balcony

.bonsai.jpg
Tokonoma inside the museum (the best trees are on exhibition, but... NO pictures allowed)

.BonsaiVillage_0002.jpg
.BonsaiVillage_0003.jpg
.
BonsaiVillage_0004.jpg
.BonsaiVillage_0005.jpg
.Yours truly...

BonsaiVillage_0006.jpg
This tree is HUGE.
.
BonsaiVillage_0007.jpg
.BonsaiVillage_0008.jpg
.BonsaiVillage_0009.jpg
.
Any comments welcome.
There are many bonsai nurseries around, that's why the region is called "Omiya Bonsai Village"
 

Bonsai Nut

Nuttier than your average Nut
Messages
12,412
Reaction score
27,823
Location
Charlotte area, North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
There are many bonsai nurseries around, that's why the region is called "Omiya Bonsai Village"

Thank you for the photos! Please share more!

Omiya Bonsai Village was founded in 1925 after a great earthquake destroyed most of the bonsai nurseries in/around Tokyo. It was a community founded by bonsai growers and planned around bonsai - one of the requirements to live there was that you had to own at least ten bonsai. Here is an interesting link to some of the history:

Omiya Bonsai Village
 
Last edited:

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
Messages
14,181
Reaction score
22,178
Location
Fairfax Va.
USDA Zone
7
Thanks for posting the photos!

Don't know much about the museum or how it displays bonsai, but they seem to take a more traditional approach. Moss on trees on display (all those trees are on display inside or out) isn't unusual. Also, the vast majority of trees I can see in the photos are conifers, which typically are potted in unglazed containers. The deciduous trees that are present look to be species that can be used with unglazed pots (Korean hornbeam and Chinese quince) There appear to be some Japanese maples in the background of some photos with rather colorful green glazes.
 

Clicio

Masterpiece
Messages
3,002
Reaction score
8,299
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
USDA Zone
11a
Don't know much about the museum or how it displays bonsai, but they seem to take a more traditional approach.
I agree, they are very traditional. But it's always good to see the fundamentals again and again...

Moss on trees on display (all those trees are on display inside or out) isn't unusual.
Yes, we know that.
Not wishing to start an endless discussion about moss/no moss, but at the back of the museum there is an area where the nurseries sell trees, pots and tools. Most of the trees, specially the oldest ones, had moss. It was easy to see this was not recently applied, but old moss.

... There appear to be some Japanese maples in the background of some photos with rather colorful green glazes.
Yes, you may be right.
This picture below shows some maples (unglazed pots again), but one of the trees on the background is inside a blue pot.
Thanks for the comments, @rockm !OmiyaBonsai-2775.jpg
 

MichaelS

Masterpiece
Messages
2,013
Reaction score
4,733
Location
Australia
Some great trees . The Juniper in the second pic is a good example of beautiful natural shaping imo. There is no need to have slick green helmets on junipers. The two white pines in the third pic...outstanding. And how's the bark on the big one!
The hinoki on the other hand, :(
Thanks for sharing
 

Vin

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,257
Reaction score
7,645
Location
Panama City, FL Zone 9a/8b Centr
USDA Zone
8b
This picture below shows some maples (unglazed pots again), but one of the trees on the background is inside a blue pot.
I can't quite tell but is that a Melted Nebari on the one you're pointing to? If so, I thought that was more of a Western thing.
 

Clicio

Masterpiece
Messages
3,002
Reaction score
8,299
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
USDA Zone
11a
I can't quite tell but is that a Melted Nebari on the one you're pointing to?
Melted Nebari? I didn't know it was called this name.
It looks like, and...
How do they do it?

.Momiji.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vin

Vin

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,257
Reaction score
7,645
Location
Panama City, FL Zone 9a/8b Centr
USDA Zone
8b
Melted Nebari? I didn't know it was called this name.
It looks like, and...
How do they do it?
There's probably some other name for it but that's what I've always heard it called. I do not have one but from my understanding you prune downward growing roots to promote lateral growth. They are kept in very shallow pots and sometimes grown on tiles. Then of course you need a lot of time; and I mean a lot of time.. BTW, you provided some outstanding images for us to enjoy. Thank you!
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
Messages
14,181
Reaction score
22,178
Location
Fairfax Va.
USDA Zone
7
There's probably some other name for it but that's what I've always heard it called. I do not have one but from my understanding you prune downward growing roots to promote lateral growth. They are kept in very shallow pots and sometimes grown on tiles. Then of course you need a lot of time; and I mean a lot of time.. BTW, you provided some outstanding images for us to enjoy. Thank you!
Those 'melted roots' are very much a Japanese "thing," not western.
 

M. Frary

Bonsai Godzilla
Messages
14,307
Reaction score
22,116
Location
Mio Michigan
USDA Zone
4
Word is he's due to return any day now. He and his bud Mothra are going to wreak havoc on North Korea if they don't get their shit together. Could just be a far fetched rumor though.
It would be a great place to show up.
Last week when the president was there.
Kill two birds with one stomp.. 2 coo coo birds.
 
Top Bottom