The Nitty Gritty Of Japanese Bonsai

| Friday, July 1, 2011
By Nicholas Lancaster


The Japanese refined and developed Bonsai techniques and evolved the art form it is today. For the Japanese, bonsai represents a fusion of strong ancient beliefs with the Eastern philosophies of the harmony between man, the soul and nature. To that end, Japanese bonsai is still governed by the above principles.

You may be surprised to know that bonsai traces its roots to Egypt, before it moved to China. From China bonsai moved to Japan. Where the Japanese perfected the art of bonsai.

Japanese use azaleas to create magnificent bonsai following years of pruning, wiring and careful attention. Both Japanese bonsai and its harbinger, the Chinese art of penjing, are considered indispensable parts of Asian culture and tradition.

The art of raising bonsai dwarfed potted trees has enabled the Japanese to admire nature in an indoor setting. Compared to Japanese bonsai, American bonsai styles, however, are less traditional and more free-flowing.

A good bonsai tree must replicate an actual tree in scale form, so to say - this is the benchmark that all bonsai practitioners follow. Naturally, a bonsai should simulate a tree in the sense that trunks are tapered and have branches for added visuo-spatial depth. When tree and pot amalgamate and meld into each other in harmony, this is just what we mean by sublime bonsai. However, is it really such a big deal if you consider bonsai's real meaning - potted tree? It is, when you realize that some of the world's finest bonsai has been around for over a hundred years.

Requiring many years of devoted attention and care to produce, the bonsai extends beauty and expresses the significance of life. In an abstract way, caring for a bonsai is a way to develop equanimity of mind and tranquility in one's soul.

As years passed, bonsai evolved into many different varieties, all different from one another. Some of these new styles include rock clinging, slanted trunk, forest and windswept - all created on the basis of classic forms and durable enough for indoor growth.

Bonsai are highly regarded as a symbol of Japanese culture and ideals. Do not misconstrue a bonsai as a tree under duress. A bonsai may have areas of dead wood to give an impression of age. There are several techniques available to the bonsai grower to increase the apparent age.

No longer exclusively an oriental art form, today bonsai is practiced by thousands of people around the world, on every continent. When practicing bonsai, you are doing nature a favor by capturing its spirit. A bonsai industry of considerable size exists in certain sections of Japan.




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