Bonsai in Omiya Bonsai City in Saitama Prefecture
1. Today's Walking Course
Today, I came to Bonsai-city in Saitama prefecture. Bonsai is a dwarfed potted plant and there are a lot of Bonsai shops around here. I am looking forward to appreciating various types of Bonsai.
2. Today's Photographies
Now I am at Omiyakoen Station, Tobu Noda Line. Here is called Bonsai-city as expected there are a lot of trees.
There are also beautiful flowers!!
This moss boll represents Japanese beauty.
I can see bonsai all over town.
Now I arrived at Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. Here is the only public museum which displays bonsai in the world.
As soon as I entered the museum, I found a very beautiful bonsai at the entrance hall.
First, I see the garden from the second floor in the facility. I’ve never seen so many bonsai in one place.
Each bonsai has each different characteristic.
My favorite one is this bonsai in the restroom!
3. History
Bonsai is living work of art capturing the essence of Japanese beauty in nature as well as Japanese gardens and flower arrangement.
It is said that people grew tree in flower pot at least more than 2500 years ago in China. This cluture was came to Japan befor the 14th century.
From the 17th century to the 19th century in Edo perido, Bonsai became very popular and not only wealthy people but also ordinary people actively grew Bonsai in Japan.
Today, many Japanese poeple regard Bonsai as hobby just for old people who have a lot of free time to take care of it. However, foreigners and Japanese young people just start to be interested in Bonsai as a world-famous Japanese culture.
Many Bonsai gardeners used to live in Sendagi, the center of Tokyo. However, due to the urbanization of Tokyo after the 20the century, many gardeners had lack of land for growing Bonsai seedlings.
The big earthquake devastated Tokyo in 1923. After this, Bonsai gardeners moved to the current Bonsai-city in Saitama prefuecture for large ground. Now, Omiya Bonsai-city is the largest area for growing Bonsai in Japan.
4. Information
・Closest stations to Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is Toro Station, JR Tohoku Line. The museum is open from 9:00am to 4:30pm (from March to October) and from 9:00am to 4:00pm (from November to February). Thursday is closed. The entrance fee is 300 yen for adult, 150 yen for high school student or more than 65 years old and 100 yen for elementary school or junior high school student.
・There are also private bonsai shops such as Mansei-en, Seika-en, Kyuka-en and Fuyoen where you can appreciate Bonsai in the city.
If you are interested in Omiya Area in Saitama Prefecture, please check the following article.
