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.