International BONSAI Digest – 2021 Part 2 Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition

95Th 2021- parT 2

KoKuFu Bonsai exhiBiTion

Sponsor: Nippon Bonsai Association Japan Cultural Department

Location: Tokyo Metropolitian Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan

Dates: Part 2 - February 13-17, 2021

This year’s Kokfu Bonsai Exhibiton took place with COVID precautions for visitors. Fewer bonsai were displayed and the aisles were wider to allow for social distancing.

The following statistics were compiled from the exhibition guide:

Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition- Part 2

Displays: 131 (usually 151) Kokufu Prizes Awarded: 3 Important Masterpieces Displayed: 8 Medium Size Bonsai: 31 Shohin Bonsai Compositions: (9) (53 individual specimens) Special Exhibits: 2 Suiseki Displayed: 4

Bougainvillea, Bougainvillea glabra, trained as a medium size bonsai. Perhaps it was grown and trained in Okinawa.

© 2021 MAKIKO KOBAYASHI PHOTOS Gardenia, Grardenia jasmonides. The white fragrant flowers of summer are often followed with interesting orange fruit. This Oriental photina, Pourthiaea villosa, received a Kokufu Prize.

Silverberry, Elaegnus pungens, developed into a shohin bonsai.

Right–

Japanese flowering apricot, Prunus mume, trained from an old gnarled tree.

Below–

Japanese black pine, Pinus thunbergii, trained from an old tree with short needles, interesting rough bark and trunk.

Winter flowering cherry, Prunus capanulata, trained from an old gnarled tree.

Chojubai dwarf Japanese flowering quince, Chaenomeles japonica ‘Chojubai.’ This cultivar is popular for the tiny red flowers.

Chinese quince, Pseudocydonia sinensis showing the colorful muscular bark. Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, trained in the informal upright style. The focal point of this bonsai is the flat surface root region. There are several different techniques for developing such a heavy surface root region which presents a stable footing for the unscared trunk.

Left–

Toyo Nishiki Japanese flowering quince, Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Toyo Nishiki.’ This cultivar is popular for bonsai because it has white, pink and red blossoms. The multiple trunks of this bonsai have excellent movement and taper.

Below–

Twisted trunk pomegranate, Punica granatum ‘Nejikan,’ trained from a cutting for many decades. The small silver tag hanging on the lowest branch denotes this is an Important Bonsai Masterpiece.

Zuisho Japanese five-needle pine, Pinus parviflora ‘Zuisho,’ completely container grown. A large size collected Sargent juniper, Juniperus chinensis, var. Sargenti ‘Shimpaku.’

Left & Above–

Japanese camellia, Camellia japonica, displaying small size flowers.

Accessory planting for the award winning Burning bush on right.

An accessory planting of Golden fern planted on a stone.

Rough bark Japanese maple, Acer palmatum ‘Arakawa,’, trained in twin trunk style. This bonsai has fine delicate twigs which is unusual for this cultivar.

Burning bush, Euonymus alatus, trained in the multiple trunk style. The many trunks have grown together, which is the natural form for this species. This bonsai received one of three Kokufu prizes.

Above & Below–

Japanese red pine, Pinus densiflora, trained from an old collected specimen or from a field grown plant.

Right–

Satsuki azalea, Rhodendron indicum cv., trained fromr field grown plant for several decades.

Left–

Shishigashira Japanese maple, Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira trained in the twin trunk style from an airlayer. This choice cultivar has small crinkled leaves and is usually orange/yellow in autumn.

Below–

Shohin bonsai composition featuring: Japanese black pine, Pinus thunbergii, Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, Silverberry, Elaegnus pungens, Chojubai dwarf Japanese flowering quince, Chaenomeles japonica ‘Chojubai,’ and Sargent juniper, Juniperus chinensis var. Sargentii ‘Shimpaku.’

Top–

Cork bark Japanese black pine, Pinus thunbergii ‘Corticosa,’ is cultivated for the thick corky bark which develop in wing like structures adding drama to the bonsai. This masterpiece bonsai is especially prized because of the excellent lower trunk and surface root region which hides the graft.

Right–

A large size collected Sargent juniper, Juniperus chinensis, var. Sargenti ‘Shimpaku,’ has beautiful dead wood and dynamic branching.

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