Try Japanese Bonsai Culture, the Next New Trend

With the chaotic flurry and ever-growing fast pace of the surrounding world, people have begun to focus more on their spiritual, mental, and physical well-being in a way that is personal to them. In ways that can resonate with many aspects of Japanese culture. Younger generations, especially, have found a way to romanticize self-care and slow time through the philosophy found through these activities.

City Pop is the next bop dominating global charts, anime and Ghibli are a necessity to the average cinephile's list, and matcha is the biggest go-to drink, a trend that's grown so big some even call it "performative."

What's the next thing to hop on the trend? I would say, bonsai.

Omiya Bonsai Art Museum

Located in Omiya, Saitama, the Omiya Bonsai Village may be far from the typical tourist spot of Tokyo's hubbub.

However, it's a great spot ー not only if you're a die-hard Japan-lover, but also if you're a beginner, hoping for a simple, authentic introduction to a piece of our culture in a less crowded but also tourist-friendly environment.

This museum is a hidden treasure, holding various elements that will surely lure you down the rabbit hole of bonsai's multiple charms.

It consists of a basic informative exhibition, a kid-friendly informative exhibition, an outdoor open space decorated with priceless bonsais, and a second-floor terrace where you can lazily bathe in the sunlight while looking over the beautiful view.

How to Look at Bonsai

The first informative exhibit is called the "Collection Gallery." It gives a brief run-through of what bonsai is, including its history and importance in Japanese culture.

Then it gives a very helpful overview of the proper way to look at bonsai in order to fully understand and appreciate its full beauty and grandeur.

1. Determine the front/face

An interesting trivia about bonsai is that they have chosen fronts and backs, selected by the artist based on the angle that best reflects their utmost beauty. In order to appreciate the bonsai's full beauty, facing it from the artist's eyes is the first step.

2. Look up from the bottom

Humble yourself at the foot of your tree. Lower your stance until your gaze is eye-level to the foot, or as low as possible, then slowly pan upwards. This bonsai is not a bonsai ー it is a massive tree

3. Notice the details

Zero in on the nanodetails: the way the roots grip the dirt, the delicate leaves, the thickness of the trunk, and the shape of the leaves arching into that neat triangle shape.

For details on their philosophy behind each process, visit the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum's official page.

Conveying Beauty, Inviting Learning

A monitor at the end of the hall with a touch-screen invites visitors to flip through their exhaustive digital encyclopedia of different tree species, with detailed information, including a visual comparison between their appearance in the summer versus in the fall. It showcases how the bonsai reflects Japanese nature's ever-changing beauty throughout the four seasons.

Around the corner, the end of the exhibition is marked by a visual representation of zashiki kazari.

Zashiki kazari, or decorating the interior or a specific guest room, often used bonsai or scrolls to showcase the skills and taste of the host. They encapsulate various styles, including Shin, Gyo, and Sou, popularized in the Edo era. The showroom-like space at the end gives an example of the different styles in which bonsai can be used to decorate traditional Japanese rooms.

One visitor from the United States claimed that although she had visited on a whim while passing through the area after discovering it on Google Maps, she enjoyed learning about bonsai in more depth, and "especially loved the zashiki kazari area."

The exit opens up into the outdoor space, where dozens of carefully trimmed and sheltered bonsai are lined up. Next to each, small placards explain the specific tree type, height, and age. A grand, luscious bonsai standing in a sheltered section in the yard boasted a whopping 500 years. It has survived multiple wars and natural disasters. Carefully examining each tree (following the guide we just learned in the exhibition) should certainly leave the viewer in awe and surprise.

Be Sure to Wear Your Yukata

Another great thing to note is that when visiting in the summer, if you wear a yukata, your entrance fee is free! A full experience of aesthetic 'gram-worthy moments, and on a budget? Well, you know where to go.

Also note, renting a car or walking for a while from the station are recommended options.

*A yukata is similar to a kimono, except its fabric is thinner and therefore suitable to wear for summer festivals or night visits to the beach.

How to Make Bonsai and Take Care of Bonsai

The Bonsai Restaurant Omiya

Now done with the academics. It's time for some hands-on experience to get your hands dirty.

Right outside the gates of the museum stands a homely, unsuspecting restaurant where you can have a cup of coffee. However, in a curtained corner lies a space where visitors can "make" their own bonsai in a careful, one-on-one session with a caretaker at the museum itself.

First, after orientation, the participant gets to select a pot of their choice from the display (and some hidden ones under a drawer).

The teacher then brings in a few pots of different species of tree saplings, including Japanese Maple and Chinese Juniper. After choosing one, the teacher shows ー step-by-step ー how to work wire into the bottom of the pot to ensure the water can flow out while catching stray dirt chunks or roots.

Then, the work afterward is similar to the unpotting of a regular plant, except that it takes a fairly specific type of dirt with bigger chunks, and uses a stick to stab at it to ensure all pieces are stuffed perfectly in place and fill every space between the roots.

What comes next is the more arduous and time-consuming work of trimming the tree, or wiring it, depending on aesthetic preference. The ideal aesthetic of a bonsai is to shape it into a triangular shape. That said, who can tell you how to shape your own plant?

Patience and Constant Care

Bonsai take decades to grow, and thinner branches and leaves grow out fairly often. As an amateur teen with no green thumb, my priority would be to make sure my tree doesn't expire before I do. But for those who would love their bonsai to have a more precise look catered to the authentic Japanese aesthetic, consulting a book or a professional might be the best.

Moreover, the bonsai restaurant offers a "Bonsai Hotel!" Made for bonsai lovers who may need to neglect their lovely plant due to long-term travel, sickness, or other abrupt circumstances but want to see to it properly cared for, the Bonsai Hotel "adopts" the plant for as long as necessary, watering, caring, and looking after its well-being.

For those interested in learning more about the many beauties and curiosities of bonsai, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum has released a schedule for its 100th anniversary events. Make sure to check them out!