The passion for bonsai in Tokyo: between shops and museums 盆栽
4 good places to learn more about Bonsai
Even in the immense Tokyo, it is not easy to satisfy your passion for bonsai ... From the shop to the museum, here are the tips of Vivre le Japon!
- Omiya Bonsai Village in Saitama
Nicknamed "the bonsai nursery", the village of Omiya is a must-see for lovers of dwarf trees. It is full of private gardens filled with these potted trees. The great masters sell, expose, share and teach courses (often in English).
Addresses: 96 Bonsaicho, Kita, Saitama, 331-0805
Hours: Open every day, except Tuesday;
Access: from Ueno station, take the Keihin-Tôhoku line and get off at Omiya Koen.
- Morimae Ginza Bonsai Shop
In the heart of the Ginza district, the Morimae boutique caters more to the curious than to the real amateurs. It offers a wide choice of trees, pots as well as miniature tokonoma , these small raised spaces typical of Japanese houses. The products being relatively expensive , the store is more a place to visit than a place to spend ...
Address : 7-9-10 Ginza, Tokyo 104-0061
Hours: Open every day
Access: From Shibuya, Ueno or Asakusa, take the Chikatetsu Ginza line and get off at Ginza.
- Shunkaen Bonsai Museum
This is the private museum of Kunio Kobayashi, an award-winning grand master of the genre. A little out of Tokyo, the museum also houses a school for apprentices from all over the world. On Sundays, lessons are offered in English . To participate, all you need to do is get a shrub, sold on site.
Address: 1-29-16 Niihori, Edogawa, Tokyo 132-0001
Hours: Open every day except Monday
Access: From Akihabara, take the Sobu line, get off at Koiwa, take the south exit, get on bus 76 and get off at Keiyouguchi stop.
- Ueno Green Club
Located in Ueno Park , Ueno Green Club offers everything for bonsai lovers. Trees , tools , pots , but also an exhibition . For the more enthusiastic, the headquarters of the Nippon Bonsai Association , responsible for promoting this art, is right next door.
Address: 3-1-21 Ikenohata, Taito, Tokyo 110-0008
Hours: Open every day except Wednesday
Access: on the Yamanote, get off at Ueno.
Bonsai at home?
Once you have learned the art of cutting, it is normal to want to take a bonsai home with you. Be careful, however, the import procedure is extremely complex and can lead to the destruction of the plant. If getting a bonsai tree out of Japan is rather simple (you just need to have all the papers in order), arriving in France is more difficult .
Between phytosanitary checks, quarantine at your expense and drastic conditions, the price can climb very quickly ... and in the general opinion of all specialists, it is better not to try to bring a Japanese bonsai back to France.
