2010年01月18日
Bonsai and Suiseki Convention
The 11th Asia-Pacific Bonsai and Suiseki Convention & Exhibition (ASPAC) will be held in Takamatsu in the fall of 2011. The biannual convention seeks to increase appreciation for the international arts of bonsai and suiseki, to foster friendships and exchange, and to encourage greater appreciation for the natural environment. The organizers expect about 3,000 participants from over 20 nations to gather. This is the first time ASPAC will be held in Japan, which is surprising considering the long history and popularity of both bonsai cultivation and suiseki here. It is, however, indicative of their international popularity.
The 10th Asia-Pacific Bonsai and Suiseki Convention & Exhibition (ASPAC)
Suiseki is the collection and appreciation of naturally formed stones that suggest a scene or object in nature. Stones are collected in their natural state, displayed and admired for their beauty. Bonsai literally means “tray planting” and it is the art of growing, pruning and training trees or other plants in containers. Bonsai, like suiseki, represent nature and the universe in miniature.
Bonsai cultivation is a well-established industry in Kagawa. Introduced from China over a thousand years ago, the art began to develop and evolve in Japan during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) along with Zen Buddhism. The careful pruning and training of the trees and the admiration of their beauty were a form of meditation. At first, bonsai cultivation was limited to Buddhist priests but gradually the art spread. It was over 200 years ago that their cultivation took root in Kagawa.
According to local legend, bonsai cultivation began when local people dug up pine saplings on the inland sea coast and replanted them in pots. Kinashi and Kokubunji, small communities on the west side of Takamatsu, now produce over 80 percent of the pine bonsai sold in Japan and they also export a significant amount overseas. Both areas have regular monthly events to allow visitors to admire or purchase bonsai and to learn how they are made. Walking through a bonsai nursery is to experience living art. They are well worth a visit.
Ritsurin Garden
The 10th Asia-Pacific Bonsai and Suiseki Convention & Exhibition (ASPAC)
Suiseki is the collection and appreciation of naturally formed stones that suggest a scene or object in nature. Stones are collected in their natural state, displayed and admired for their beauty. Bonsai literally means “tray planting” and it is the art of growing, pruning and training trees or other plants in containers. Bonsai, like suiseki, represent nature and the universe in miniature.
Bonsai cultivation is a well-established industry in Kagawa. Introduced from China over a thousand years ago, the art began to develop and evolve in Japan during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) along with Zen Buddhism. The careful pruning and training of the trees and the admiration of their beauty were a form of meditation. At first, bonsai cultivation was limited to Buddhist priests but gradually the art spread. It was over 200 years ago that their cultivation took root in Kagawa.
According to local legend, bonsai cultivation began when local people dug up pine saplings on the inland sea coast and replanted them in pots. Kinashi and Kokubunji, small communities on the west side of Takamatsu, now produce over 80 percent of the pine bonsai sold in Japan and they also export a significant amount overseas. Both areas have regular monthly events to allow visitors to admire or purchase bonsai and to learn how they are made. Walking through a bonsai nursery is to experience living art. They are well worth a visit.
Ritsurin Garden
My Profile
Cathy Hirano キャシー ヒラノ
I've lived in Japan since 1978. After graduating from a Japanese university with a BA in cultural anthropology in 1983, I worked as a translator in a Japanese consulting engineering firm in Tokyo for several years. My Japanese husband and I moved to Takamatsu in 1987 to raise our two children in a slower-paced environment away from the big city pressures. We've never regretted it. I work as a freelance translator and interpreter and am involved in a lot of community work, including volunteering for Second Hand, a local NGO that supports educational and vocational training initiatives in Cambodia, and for the Takamatsu International Association. I love living in Takamatsu.
Cathy Hirano キャシー ヒラノ
I've lived in Japan since 1978. After graduating from a Japanese university with a BA in cultural anthropology in 1983, I worked as a translator in a Japanese consulting engineering firm in Tokyo for several years. My Japanese husband and I moved to Takamatsu in 1987 to raise our two children in a slower-paced environment away from the big city pressures. We've never regretted it. I work as a freelance translator and interpreter and am involved in a lot of community work, including volunteering for Second Hand, a local NGO that supports educational and vocational training initiatives in Cambodia, and for the Takamatsu International Association. I love living in Takamatsu.
Posted by cathy at 15:17│Comments(1)
│Bonsai
この記事へのコメント
Hi, William. Thanks for the comment!! The convention has not yet been held. It will be held in the fall of this year. Yes, there are a lot of bonsai growers in Japan and especially in this area. The trees are really works of art.
Posted by cathy hirano at 2011年03月15日 10:15
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