Lifestyle Nov 21, 2020
Masters of their craft: Foreign apprentices reveal their life-changing experiences in Japan
by Kathryn Wortley
You don’t master traditional Japanese crafts, says Japanese lacquerware artist Suzanne Ross, “they master you.”
National Oct 4, 2019
As number of growers declines, Ehime company promotes 'queen of bonsai' exports to Europe
Bonsai growers in western Japan are trying to boost exports of a tree known as the "queen of bonsai" for the elegance of its leaves and trunk, mainly to Europe, to establish a global brand and revitalize the regional economy. In August, 12 suppliers in ...
Art Feb 25, 2016
Bonsai world's 'black sheep' aims to inject 'cool' into traditional art form
by Mai Yoshikawa
For one man, upholding the Japanese bonsai tradition dating back over a thousand years in this rapidly advancing world is a task that should suit the times. That is why budding bonsai craftsman Masashi Hirao readily accepts his role as the black sheep bringing something ...
National May 7, 2015
Japan rediscovers joy of bonsai after tiny trees put down roots in global affections
by Michio Watanabe
After years of withering in obscurity, the art of creating carefully cultivated bonsai potted trees is starting to show green shoots of renewal. "Recently I see signs of reviving popularity, particularly among women," said Kaori Yamada, a prominent female bonsai artist. She said this contrasts with ...
National Dec 29, 2014
French bonsai expert says potted pines are now a global art form
by Woo Song Mi
A bonsai-besotted foreigner is so taken with the miniature trees he has set up home in Kagawa Prefecture, a major bonsai production area. "Bonsai never stops moving. It's intriguing, as its shape is changing and never-ending," says French national Xavier Brusset, 35, who is now ...
Travel Nov 1, 2014
Cultivating shrunken worlds in Bonsai-mura
by Stephen Mansfield
Omiya is one of greater Tokyo's rare pockets of residential comfort that can accurately be defined as middle class — a trait it shares with places such as Chiba's Ichikawa Mama or southwestern Tokyo's Denenchofu district. Bonsai-mura (literally: "Bonsai Village") is a neighborhood of Omiya, ...