Latest news with #OmiyaBonsaiArtMuseum
SoraNews24
13-05-2025
- General
- SoraNews24
Small trees, big beauty await at Japan's Bonsai Art Museum【Photos】
Less than an hour from downtown Tokyo, this neighborhood with a rich bonsai history is a beautiful spot for a little miniature tranquility. Japanese culture has long embraced the philosophy that things don't necessarily have to be big in order to be beautiful, and some of the truest examples of that are bonsai trees. And if you're looking for some of the best examples of just how much beauty there can be in Japan's gardening tradition of intricately cared for miniature trees, you'll find them at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. Located in Saitama City, the museum is a little less than an hour north of downtown Tokyo. Even before you get to the museum itself, though, you'll already be walking through a bit of bonsai history. We stumbled into this entirely by accident while exploring the town, when we looked on a local guide map and saw… …that there's a whole neighborhood, stretching west from Omiya Koen Station, called 'Bonsai Village!' ▼ 盆栽村 = Bonsai Village In 1923, Tokyo was devastated by a huge earthquake. Among those displaced by the devastation were bonsai cultivators and gardeners who's been living in the capital, and many of them relocated to Saitama. At one point, it was even said that owning/growing at least 10 bonsai trees was a prerequisite for securing housing in the neighborhood. Today, there are still a number of bonsai nurseries located in the neighborhood, who not only raise and sell the trees, but purchase them too. If properly cared for, bonsai can have very long lives, sometimes outliving their original owners, and if none of their heirs are able to take care of the plants, the nurseries will buy them so that they don't get thrown out. That love of plant life manifests itself in the neighborhood's landscaping as well, as there's a huge variety of even non-bonsai trees on and in the area's streets, parks, and plazas, with some very nice pines in particular that we passed by. The highlight of Omiya's Bonsai Village, though, is the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. With a modest admission fee of just 310 yen (US$2.15), the entry barrier is about as low as it can be, so we purchased a ticket and stepped on inside to what it turns out is a museum that's very welcoming even to complete newbies. Aside from the indoor sections, the museum also has a lovely open-air bonsai garden, which displays a rotating selection from their collection of trees, picked according to the season. There are always 70 or so trees in total on display at the museum, and guidance is offered in both English and Japanese, including advice on how to look at bonsai. The first suggestion we were given was to look at the bonsai straight-on. That might seem obvious, but we did it anyway, and taking a few extra moments to really appreciate the various twists and turns of their branches, the coloring of their bark, and the expressive angles of their needles and leaves did help us appreciate them on a deeper level. But where things really got cool was when we followed the second point of advice, which is to look up at the bonsai from below. This isn't something that we'd have thought to do on our own, given their small size, but when we did… …the new perspective gave the trees a whole new character. From this angle, there's a new, augmented dynamism to how the roots break free from the soil and the branches stretch towards the sky. Viewed from directly ahead or above, bonsai often appear cute, but seen from below, they're awesome. Seeing so many bonsai in the same place also drives home just how different one tree can be from another, and how much their atmosphere can be affected by the pot and stones they're paired with. Some compositions look like miniature forests… …while others blossom in a way that almost feels like you're looking at giant flowers, not a small tree. Photography is freely allowed in the open-air section, so feel free to snap away and pose by your favorite bonsai to your heart's content. In the indoor areas you'll find more trees on display, as well as paintings of bonsai, and the museum also offers periodic workshops, some with English instruction, where you can get hand-on instruction in the bonsai basics of how to care for and shape the trees. Though we ended up at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum on this day entirely by chance, our timing was still pretty lucky. The museum opened in 2010, but was closed between last November and late March of this year for renovation work. As mentioned above, the museum periodically holds workshops and other special events, such as after-dark light-ups of the garden. Some of these require advance reservations, so it's worth keeping an eye on the museum's official website to see what's coming up, but even if you end up visiting the place entirely on a whim, like we did, it's a beautiful experience. Location information Omiya Bonsai Art Museum / 大宮盆栽美術館 Address: Saitama-ken, Saitama-chi, Kita-ku, Toro-cho 2-24-3 埼玉県さいたま市北区土呂町２丁目２４−３ Open 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (March-October), 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (November-February) Admission: 310 yen Website Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
Japan Forward
05-05-2025
- Japan Forward
Bonsai Museum in Saitama Reopens After Major Renovation
このページを 日本語 で読む After the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, bonsai growers from Tokyo relocated and formed a new community in Saitama Prefecture. This marked the beginning of Omiya Bonsai Village, located in what is now Saitama City. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the village's founding, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum reopened on March 21 following a major renovation. The museum's updated concept presents it as an art museum dedicated to bonsai. It also features historical and ethnographic exhibits related to the craft. As the world's first public bonsai museum, how has it evolved over the years? I paid a visit to find out. One of the renovation's highlights is the garden pond. It has been expanded from its original 70 square meters (753 sq ft) to 100 square meters (1076 sq ft). A new still-water section was added, with a bonsai placed at the tip of a small peninsula. The tree's reflection on the mirror-like surface evokes the image of Mount Fuji inverted in a lake. Currently on display is a Japanese white pine named Seiryu ("Blue Dragon"), estimated to be around 350 years old. According to the museum, the tree's shape resembles a massive dragon coiling along the water's edge and lifting its head skyward, ready to ascend. Its reflection in the pond adds to the powerful and majestic impression. The "Blue Dragon" is reflected on the pond's surface in the museum's garden. (©Sankei by Kazuya Yanagihara) A new water system has also been introduced. Spring water now flows in from upstream, creating the soothing sound of running water. This dynamic movement contrasts beautifully with the stillness of the mirrored section. Because bonsai are sensitive to heat, they were previously protected with shade covers. The renovation includes a misting system around the pond, which helps reduce stress on the trees and also provides relief for visitors during hot weather. In fiscal 2023, the museum reported about 56,000 visitors. Of those, approximately 15% were inbound tourists. Many came from countries such as the United States and Australia, a sign that bonsai has become a globally recognized cultural symbol. About a 5-minute walk from JR Utsunomiya Line's Toro Station Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (March to October), 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (November to February), closed on Thursdays Admission: ¥310 JPY (about $2 USD) Author: Kazuya Yanagihara, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
Japan Times
24-03-2025
- Japan Times
World's first bonsai museum reopens after climate-focused renovations
After a five-month closure for a rigorous garden renovation, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum formally reopened on March 21, unveiling a series of updates that aim to enhance both the exhibition experience and the health of the trees themselves. Established in 2010, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is the world's first public museum dedicated to bonsai art. Nestled within Omiya Bonsai Village, which dates back to 1925, when bonsai artisans from Tokyo sought better growing conditions following the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, the museum has become a global reference point for bonsai enthusiasts, scholars and practitioners alike. Home to a remarkable collection of over 120 aged bonsai specimens, the museum offers more than a simple exhibition — it is a window into a meticulous, living tradition. Among its most prized trees is the Ezo Spruce named Todoroki, the oldest in the collection, estimated to be 1,000 years old. The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is home to this 1,000-year-old Ezo spruce. | ERIK AUGUSTIN PALM While the art of bonsai is often associated with patience and preservation, it is, by necessity, a practice of constant adaptation — to shifting seasons, new techniques, and now, the environmental pressures of climate change. As part of the renovations, several structural and environmental upgrades have been made to better protect the bonsai from the increasing intensity of Japan's summers. Harry Turton, the museum's coordinator for international relations, points out key changes such as an expanded multilevel flowing pond and devices spraying cold mist — designed not only for the health of the trees but also for the comfort of visitors to the museum's walled garden. The enclosed space, bordered by tall, swaying bamboo trees, tends to capture and amplify the summer heat, making these additions essential as the climate continues to shift. The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum exhibits more than 120 aged bonsai specimens. | ERIK AUGUSTIN PALM To celebrate the reopening, the museum has curated a series of special exhibitions that highlight both the seasonal beauty of bonsai and its broader artistic and historical significance. "Shiki: March, Flowers Herald Spring" (through March 25) welcomes the arrival of spring with bonsai compositions that emphasize renewal and seasonal transition, while "The 34th Sakka Exhibition" (April 4-23), presented by the Japan Bonsai Artists Association, features works by contemporary bonsai masters. Running alongside these is "Bonsai Chronicle: History and Culture of Bonsai" (through July 2), a scholarly exhibition exploring bonsai's evolution from an aristocratic pastime to a globally respected art form. Adding a fresh perspective, "The Second Annual Exhibition of Selected Artworks by Second Grade Art Students of Toro Junior High School" (through April 2) introduces a younger generation's interpretation of bonsai and nature-inspired art. With its renovation complete, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum stands at the intersection of tradition and innovation, ensuring that the next generation inherits not only the knowledge but also the responsibility of maintaining this extraordinary cultural heritage.
