8th World Bonsai Convention in Saitama

In case you are not familiar with Bonsai, a few lines of explanation might be due at the start. In a nutshell, it's like an aged tree on the table in front of you - not a real huge tree, of course, but a desktop size of a miniature, but real, tree artfully crafted to look aged in a sort of microcosm of nature.

Bonsai is another delicious segment of Japanese culture drawing the attention of many a lover of Japanese folk arts. The World Bonsai Convention holds in every 4th year in various places around the world, and the present convention holds for the first time in 28 years in Japan at the Super Arena in Saitama, the home of Bonsai, starting April 28.

This year's Bonsai Convention features the best in Bonsai of as old as 600 years. The 300 exhibits include the works of local primary school children.
At the female Bonsai artists' booth are exhibited a series of modern Bonsai featuring beautiful photos of flowers and trees to suggest a new wave of Bonsai.
A male Bonsai fan from Nagoya, aged 70, comments:

"I'm overwhelmed by the world of extraordinary Bonsai exhibits. I'm only a beginner yet but I can see what awaits me ahead!"

A German tourist in his 60's exclaimed:

"I've come to Japan just to attend this exhibition. I'm impressed by each and every exhibit."

The opening day highlights Taiga Urashibata & Juan Andrade Demonstration and Werner M.Busch & Hannes Fritz Demonstration; on April 29th, a special event "Hello! We are Bonkura from Kagawa prefecture!" is followed by special demonstration "Kenji Oshima & Jyoti & Nikunj Parekh Demonstration", Gardening Stage Masashi Mikami, Kaori Yamada and Michael Siow Chee Long & Lindsay Bebb Demonstration.

The closing day, April 30, will feature "The world of Bonsai beginning from mini size / Chie Yamasaki, "Hakubi Kimono Show" and "Zhao Qingquan & Bjorn Bjorholm Demonstration". (Nathan Shiga) 

Source: NHK