Art of Bonsai  

Kunio Kobayashi is one of the most revered bonsai masters in Japan.   Kobayashi has travelled the world teaching his art to bonsai enthusiasts, and  operates the Syunkaen Bonsai museum in Tokyo.

Kunio Kobayashi is revered in Japan as a master of the art of bonsai. In the image above, the tree is reported to be over 800 years old and has been trained, carved and cared for by the master Kobayashi. He opened the Syunkaen Bonsai Museum in West Tokyo eight years ago to promote the art of miniaturized plants to a wider international audience.

Thousands have strolled through the gardens, workshops and display areas of the 15-time winner of the annual Kokufuten Competion, taking away a new understanding and wonder for a cultural heritage synonymous with Japan.

Kobayashi, author of the definitive Bonsai says, "Through Bonsai I have been taught many things, they display the beauty of nature in all four seasons and the majesty, grace and power of trees surviving in the harshest of conditions; something which helps me in my life."


As a sign of the changing times in Japan, in Mr. Kobayashi’s opinion, the forefront of Bonsai art has shifted from Japan to Europe, particularly Italy.

"I still get that old feeling whenever I see a particularly good example. The aesthetics of the plant may be very attractive, but there is also the inner element." Kobayashi told CNN,  "It is seeing the living and the dead combining to create a vision of beauty. When I look at a good bonsai, I have a feeling of the importance of life and new respect for nature. These trees have been struggling to survive for so long and I feel humbled by that."






SOURCE  Kunio Kobayashi

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