Sales area closed

The bonsai shop in the parking lot of
the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum will be closed
after December 21, 2014.

The shop is scheduled to be open again on January 10, 2015.

Feature exhibition at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum

An exhibition featuring the paintings of KITAZAWA Rakuten(北沢楽天)
will be held at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum
co-organized with Saitama City Cartoon Art Museum
from December 13(Sat) 2014 - January 21(Wed) 2015.

Rakuten is considered to be the founding father of
modern cartoon art or Manga.

KITAZAWA Rakuten at Kyuka-en. (in the right)
My grandfather MURATA Kyuzo rubbed elbows with him.

In the center, a ceramic artist Koito Taizan(小糸泰山).

In the left, Kyuzo's wife, MURATA Fumi.

KITAZAW Rakuten (北沢楽天):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakuten_Kitazawa

Saitama City Cartoon Art Museum (さいたま市立漫画会館):
http://www.city.saitama.jp/004/005/002/003/001/

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in December 2014

December 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

4(Thu),
11(Thu),
18(Thu),
25(Thu), 29(Mon), 30(Tue), 31(Wed).

From November - February,
the museum is open until 16:00 (entrance before 15:30).

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in November 2014(revised)

November 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

6(Thu),
13(Thu),
20(Thu),
27(Thu).

From November - February,
the museum is open until 16:00 (entrance before 15:30).

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

Special exhibition at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum

"Bonsan" (盆山, literally tray mountain) exhibition will be held at 

the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum from October 31(Fri) to November 30(Sun).

This exhibition features works of art with images of "bonsan" 

to look back the root of bonsai.

"Bonsai-zu Byobu" (盆栽図屏風, literally Folding Screen with Bonsai Pictures) 

from the collection of Idemitsu Museum of Arts will be on exhibition.

During the exhibition period, 

"Rock attached" and "root over rock" bonsai 

from the collection of the Omiya Bonsai Village 

will be on exhibition, too.

Mr. KAWABE now on the web

A Japanese bonsai creator,
Mr. KAWABE Takeo is now on the web.

http://bonsai-kawabe.com/english.html

Now on Facebook

Kyuka-en and I are now on Facebook.

From now on, I will use the more convenient platform
to share and provide information
about bonsai and ourselves, this blog or Facebook.


https://www.facebook.com/kyukaen

https://www.facebook.com/bonsai.kyukaen

Museum garden closed

On October 13(Mon) and 14(Tue),
the garden area of the Omiya bonsai Museum is
closed because of the typhoon.

The Collection Gallery is open and no problem in
enjoying the Kyuka-en exhibition.

Bonsai exhibition featuring Kyuka-en

A bonsai exhibition of works of Kyuka-en
will be held at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum
from October 10(Fri) to October 15(Wed).

We are going to display bonsai of wide variety of plants,
from traditional kinds to a succulent,
including what were once very popular among the bonsai world
but are now almost forgotten.

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in October 2014

October 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

2(Thu),
9(Thu),
16(Thu),
23(Thu),
30(Thu).

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

Appellation of the black pine bonsai

The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is now inviting  

suggestions for an appellation, a specific name of the black pine bonsai 

until November 30, 2014.

(C) the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. 2014-

The English submission form is available in the lobby of the museum.

Bonsai manhole cover returns

Bonsai manhole cover, a colored one in the area 

between Ōmiya Station and Saitama-Shintoshin Station.

I want some in the Omiya Bonsai Village.

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Semtember 2014

September 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

4(Thu),
11(Thu),
18(Thu),
25(Thu).

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in August 2014

August 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

7(Thu),
14(Thu),
21(Thu),
28(Thu).

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

Museum garden closed

On July 11(Fri), the garden area of the Omiya bonsai Museum
will be closed because of the typhoon.

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in July 2014

July 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

3(Thu),
10(Thu),
17(Thu),
24(Thu)
31(Thu).

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

PSMSBE2014

PSMSBE.

Or, Personal Selection from Meiji Shrine Bonsai Exhibition.

Goyo-matsu (五葉松, five-needle pine).

Ine (稲, rice plant).

Shima Fuchi-so (縞風知草, love grass).

Satsuki azalea (皐月).  Cultivar: Satsuma beni (薩摩紅).

Close-up of the root.

Meiji Shrine suiseki exhibition

The 54th exhibition of suiseki(水石) masterpieces is

now held at Meiji Shrine(明治神宮).

Exhibition period:

June 12 - 15, 2014.

Hours:

9:00 a.m. - 17:00 p.m. (16:00 p.m. last day)

And on June 12, there will be open a one-day sales area of
suiseki, bonsai, and related material on the 2nd floor of
Meiji Jingu Bunka-kan(明治神宮文化館, literally Meiji Shrine Culture Hall).
The sales area will be open until 16:00 p.m..

Meiji Shrine exhibition photos (new link added)

Here is a link to Meiji Shrine bonsai exhibition photos.

http://ameblo.jp/2bin09/entry-11873689081.html

http://ameblo.jp/candychan0214/entry-11875426994.html

I don't think you enjoy them.

You must be impatient to fly to Japan.

Meiji Shrine bonsai exhibition

The 14th exhibition of bonsai in honor of the deities
will be held at Meiji Shrine(明治神宮).

It is one of few bonsai exhibitions held in
Yamanote, or the upper-class areas of Tokyo.

Exhibition period:
June 6 - 11, 2014.

Hours:
9:00 a.m. - 17:00 p.m. (16:00 p.m. last day)

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in June 2014

June 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

5(Thu),
12(Thu),
16(Mon), 17(Tue), 18(Wed), 19(Thu),
26(Thu).

There are three extra closed days this month.

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

sweets bonsai

Pine bonsai made from Japanese confectionery.

(C) Ken-yun

http://ameblo.jp/mosimosikamenokod/entry-11850152181.html

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in May 2014

May 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

1(Thu),
8(Thu),
15(Thu),
22(Thu),
29(Thu).

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

Grand Bonsai Festival 2014 coming soon

Every year on May 3, 4 and 5,
Dai Bonsai Matsuri (大盆栽まつり, literally Grand Bonsai Festival) is
held in the Omiya Bonsai Village.

It is one of Japanese largest outdoor market of bonsai,
plants, pots and related materials.

It began to commemorate
the 60th anniversary of the Omiya Bonsai Village and
now it is recognized as a seasonal event.

 

WBFF now on web

World Bonsai Friendship Federation website is open now.

http://wbff-bonsai.com/


WBFF is a management body of blah blah blah.

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in April 2014

April 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

3(Thu),
10(Thu),
17(Thu),
24(Thu).

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

WBFF now on facebook

World Bonsai Friendship Federation is now on facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Bonsai-Friendship-Federation/244995322350937

WBFF is a management body of World Bonsai Convention
and the 8th convention will be held in Saitama in 2017.

Omiya Bonsai TV program on the web

The TV program I mentioned in the article on Mar 13, 2014
is now available on the web.

http://www.jibtv.com/programs/omiyabonsai2014/index.html

"Now, the world is ‐JETRO Global Eye"

A CS TV program featuring Omiya Bonsai is
now available on the web.

http://www.jetro.go.jp/tv/internet/20140313705.html

The program was originally broadcast on March 12, 2014.

Omiya Bonsai on TV

A TV program featuring Omiya Bonsai will be
broadcast on March 14 on Japan International Broadcasting.

http://www.jibtv.com/programs/omiyabonsai2014/


About how to watch the program in your country,
refer to the URL below.

http://www.jibtv.com/howtowatch/

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in March 2014

March 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

6(Thu),
13(Thu),
20(Thu),
27(Thu).

From March - October,
the museum is open until 16:30 (entrance before 16:00).

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

her magic wand

I got involuntary transformation 

on my potential Kokufu award job.

Thank you Goddess Nature.

The Fall of the House of Murata

We had a record snowfall for this area yesterday.

I can't see what's going on inside.


--------------------------------
 Theatrical Trailer - The Fall of the House of Usher (Vincent Price)

2014 Kokufu ten photos (new link added)

You will see something far more fascinating than
half dead trees and dirty pots.


http://www.bonsai.co.jp/ec/bonsaipic/?p=2672

http://gendaibons.exblog.jp/21607650/

http://hasamatsushin.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-2275.html

http://ameblo.jp/chebrashukaa/entry-11768456269.html

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/anmitu-cinnamon/e/60f515c1a514f3a7ecad0ab07163e40c

http://valavanisbonsaiblog.com/2014/02/05/2014-88th-kokufu-bonsai-exhibition-part-1-2/

http://valavanisbonsaiblog.com/2014/02/10/2014-88th-kokufu-bonsai-exhibition-part-2/

http://actubonsai.com/2014/02/08/petit-detour-par-la-kokufu-ten-2014/

How to access the Omiya Bonsai Museum

An excellent guide always with you!



And I like the choice of the BGM.

The Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor (K. 491)
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

One of the most beautiful tunes human beings have ever created.


The 3rd movement used in the beginning of the video begins from 21:35 -.

Foreigners carrying bonsai on a JR train.

え、外人盆栽もってる。 盆栽様の席… 国家試験前に癒されたわ pic.twitter.com/qVpwxIaoEb
— ゆき (@ukinko88) 2014, 2月 4

Maybe they are on their way back from the sales area of Kokufu-ten.

Sales area of Kokufu Ten 2014

From February 4 - 12, Risshun Bonsai Oichi
(立春盆栽大市, literally Lichun Bonsai Grand Market)
is held at Ueno Green Club.

It is one of Japanese largest markets of bonsai, pots, tools,
suiseki (viewing stone) and related materials.

cf.
http://japan-bonsai.blogspot.jp/2013/02/sales-area-of-kokufu-bonsai-ten.html

The hours for this event is from 9:00 - 17:00 (16:00, last day).


In Japan, the consumption tax will be raised next April.

If you are interested in things with fixed prices
like Masakuni tools, don't miss this time.

Risshun Bonsai Oichi 2013 movie:



For the convenience of the visitors,
every year during the Kokufu Ten period,
a connecting limo (or minibus) runs between
the museum and Ueno Green Club.


Usually, the bus departs from here on the museum side.

View Larger Map

I hope you visit Ueno Green Club with a fat wallet,
and leave with a thin wallet and satisfaction.

Ueno Green Club map:

View Larger Map

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in February 2014

February 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

6(Thu),
13(Thu),
20(Thu),
27(Thu).

 On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

Chushun bonsai exhibition

A bonsai exhibition
"仲春-大宮盆栽村の名品選
(Chushun* - Masterpiece selection from the Omiya Bonsai Village)"
will be held at the Omiya Bonsai Museum
from January 31 - February 19.

Kyuka-en is going to exhibit from January 31 - February 5
the plant which often appears on ukiyo-e,
the glass which often appears on bonsai books
published in Meiji and Taisho period,
the tree which MURATA Kyuzo (my grandfather)
brought back from Kunashiri Island in early Showa period and
the bonsai which MURATA Isamu (my father) created from scratch.

Or, what are totally excluded from
the ultra-conservative salon of bonsai,
Kokufu-ten.

Because there is no meaning in holding a mini-Kokufu at a museum
and Kokufu-ten as a stage set to sell expensive bonsai
to wealthy customers is not our governing values.

Please visit both Kyuka-en exhibition and Kokufu-ten to
see the two opposite directions in the modern bonsai world.

----------------------------------------
* second month of the lunar calendar

Suiseki of Japan exhibition

A suiseki exhibition will be held during the same period
and at the same place as Kokufu Ten.

It is epoch-making that a suiseki exhibition is
held at a public art museum in the capital of Japan.

Be a witness of the history.



Nihon no Suiseki Ten(日本の水石展, literally Suiseki of Japan exhibition)

February 9(Sun) - 13(Thu)

9:30(10:00 first day) - 17:30（admission until 17:00まで）
.
Admission fee:
\500(\400 for those who are in a group of more than 10 people)
\300(Students)

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum(東京都美術館) exhibition schedule:
http://www.tobikan.jp/citizens/h25_02.html

Nippon Suiseki Association(日本水石協会) web site:
http://www.suiseki-assn.gr.jp/exihibition.html

Main stream bonsai on the web(new links added)

Last week end,
the 43rd Zenkoku Shohin Bonsai Meihin-ten
(全国小品盆栽名品展, National Exhibition of Fine Pieces of Shohin Bonsai),
was held at Ueno Green Club(上野グリーンクラブ).

(cf. http://japan-bonsai.blogspot.jp/2013/01/two-directions-of-shohin-bonsai.html)

Gafu-ten(雅風展) is the most prestigious exhibition of sho-hin bonsai
or an apparatus to sell expensive bonsai.
Some people say it shows over maturity before fall
because it has already hit the ceiling.

On the other hand, Zenkoku Shohin Bonsai Meihin-ten has
the biggest presence on the web.

Because its size and style have high affinity with
the internet users in Japan, I think.


Displays at the 43nd Zenkoku Shohin Bonsai Meihin-ten:
http://ameblo.jp/honobonobon/entry-11748663712.html
http://ameblo.jp/honobonobon/entry-11747216771.html
http://ameblo.jp/honobonobon/entry-11747972962.html
http://ameblo.jp/honobonobon/entry-11749279365.html
http://ameblo.jp/honobonobon/entry-11749306976.html

http://ameblo.jp/bonsaihajime/entry-11747385953.html

http://ameblo.jp/s-fmhk/entry-11747761588.html

http://ameblo.jp/sa-yura/entry-11747839021.html

http://ameblo.jp/sterrennacht/entry-11747993314.html

http://ameblo.jp/new-taro/entry-11748371691.html

http://bonsai-mansion.hatenablog.com/entry/meihinten43

Mr. KAWABE Takeo's works on exhibition

Yew(一位, Ichi-i) bonsai which Mr. KAWABE Takeo has been engaged in
for 10 years is now exhibited at
Tokyu Department Store Tama-plaza store(東急百貨店たまプラーザ店).

Exhibition period:
January 9(Thu) - 15(Wed), 2014

Place:
B1 floor Skip Court(スキップコート)

http://www.tokyu-dept.co.jp/tama-plaza/event/detail.html/?id=38

bonsai education

At Uetake Elementary School(植竹小学校)
which is near to the Omiya Bonsai Village,
the pupils grow bonsai as a school subject since 2006.

http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASG190PP1G18UEHF035.html

I am a graduate from Uetake, but when I was a pupil there,
there was no bonsai class.

Because Omiya city(大宮市) recognized bonsai as
neither a local culture nor a tradition.

I was lucky that I was not taught bonsai at Uetake.

If I had been, I would have gone crazy yelling
"Daddy, Grand father, help me out of here!
I want to touch and look at only masterpieces!
My green fingers turn brown!"

88th Kokufu Bonsai Ten

The 88th Kokufu Bonsai Ten
(国風盆栽展, literally National Style Bonsai Exhibition),
the Salon of bonsai, will be held next February.

This year, the exhibition will be in two parts.

First part: February 4(Tue) - 7(Fri), 2014

Second part: February 9(Sun) - 12(Wed), 2014

February 8(Sat) is a closed day to change the exhibits
and for the convenience of the visitors to
the Omiya Bonsai Village and the Omiya Bonsai Museum.


Official announcement of Kokufu Bonsai Ten(in Japanese):
http://www.bonsai-kyokai.or.jp/kokuhuten.htm

Closed days of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in January 2014

January 2014, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closed on:

1(Wed) - 3(Fri),
9(Thu),
16(Thu),
23(Thu),
30(Thu).

On Thursdays, nurseries in the Omiya Bonsai Village are closed, too.

And I wish you a Happy New Year.