Bonsai

Bonsai are potted miniature trees, and considered Japanese works of art. The tiny tree is carefully trimmed to aesthetically design the shape and form of the tree. More specifically, the leaves may be trimmed, the trunk pruned and branches wired to create the desired forms. As any other plan, regular care such as watering is also necessary to continue the look of the bonsai and keep it alive. There are many different styles of bonsai, ranging from the upright look or slanting look to the windswept or cascading look. Today there are a number of museums and exhibitions that display bonsai. The Omiya Bonsai Village in Saitama is also a popular destination for bonsai fans. It consists of multiple privately privately owned bonsai gardens and displays hundreds of thousands of bonsai. An interesting way to appreciate bonsai is to lower your perspective to the level of bonsai and imagine yourself looking up at the trees, as if you were a tiny human being in a park.

Chokkan (Upright Style)
Basic bonsai shape. The branches should be symmetrically balanced.
Shakan (Slanting Style)
The shape of a trunk, at an angle, that has been affected by wind or other natural conditions.
Ishizuki (Rock Planting)
The shape that reflects a tree surviving on the edge of a precipice, made with stones.
Kengai (Cascading Style)
The shape of a bonsai tree grown out from a precipice, with the edge of the tree hanging down over the container's edge.

Reference: Japan at a Glance Updated

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