Bonsai tree: Omiya Bonsai Art Museum and environs

Friday, December 16, 2011

Bonsai tree: Omiya Bonsai Art Museum and environs


Source: Bonsai Tonight
Omiya Bonsai Art Museum and environs

The people of Saitama City pooled impressive resources to open the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in 2010. Billed as the world’s first publicly-operated bonsai art museum, the museum is home to outstanding trees, pots, stands, and historical documents relating to bonsai. Their brochure claims that three principles form the pillars of the museum’s activities:

1. The bonsai research center - The Museum carries out research on the history and significance of bonsai from diverse perspectives. The results are disseminated in an easy to understand way through exhibitions, lectures, classes, and so on.

2. A new tourist attraction for Saitama City - The Museum aims to become a new tourist attraction for Saitama City, one where people can easily encounter the beauty of bonsai.

3. An aid to the revitalization of the bonsai industry - By providing many people with opportunities to become familiar with bonsai, the Museum works to revitalize this traditional industry.

The museum didn’t skimp on trees. A rotating collection of bonsai gives life to exhibits and to the garden at the museum’s center. Here are some of the trees on display the rainy day we visited.

Japanese maple. Tree name: Musashi-ga-oka

Japanese maple – the tree is named Musashi-ga-oka

Large black pine

Large Japanese black pine in huge antique pot

Modern bonsai display

Modern bonsai display

Red pine and ginkgo

Red pine and ginkgo

White pine

Amazing white pine

M�lange of bonsai color

Mélange of bonsai colors

Japanese maple

Japanese maple

Bonsai display

Bonsai garden

Omiya Bonsai Art Museum garden

Bonsai garden

Omiya Bonsai Art Museum garden

The rest of the garden

On our way to the museum, we stopped to pick up Yu-senpai. Yu-senpai’s nursery is about 15 minutes away from the museum and contains a great mix of varieties. His father is a fan of Japanese maples.

Large Japanese maple

Japanese maple in development

Peter enjoynig the deciduous trees despite the rain

Peter enjoying the deciduous trees

Japanese maples

Japanese maples

Japanese maples in training

More Japanese maples

Shimpaku

A twisty shimpaku

We also stopped by a bonsai supply nursery. Inside we looked at crowded rooms of tools, trinkets, antiques, pottery, stands and furniture. Outside sat pallets of bonsai soil and shelf after shelf of bonsai pots. Fun shopping!

Bonsai nursery

Some of the smaller pots

Pots

More pots

Bonsai nursery

All kinds of bonsai related supplies

I picked up a few knick-knacks – an old woodworking tool, bamboo stands for accent plants – and spent the rest of the time perusing pots. Most were new Japanese or new Chinese. Despite the great selection, I demurred and saved my Yen for older pots.

The pot that made Peter smile

Not a hat – the pot that made Peter smile

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