Myself, Mr. Fujikawa, and a Gansekisho Black Pine
It’s been extremely hot here in Osaka these past few weeks so work has slowed down a bit, other than watering of course. Mr. Fujikawa recently came back from an auction in Mie Prefecture with a truckload of raw material, collected and field grown, for me to start working on. Summer isn’t the best time to be wiring trees, but Mr. Fujikawa tells me I need the practice, so I’ve been working non-stop on styling the new material. I posted several before and after shots in the gallery section listed above. Feel free to check those out and leave comments, thanks!
I’m not sure why this was deleted the first time around, but I’ll post it again. These are pics of a chuuhin Shimpaku Juniper I wired up this past week. Feel free to comment!
The Shimpaku before…
And after
Working on the tree at the nursery
Halfway through the 8-hour styling
Detail of the lower branches
One display option (Fujikawa didn’t go for it)
A second display option
It’s been more than a month since I started work here as an apprentice and all is still going well. I’ve learned more in the past 5 weeks than I have in the previous 9 years since I first started bonsai. I could write for days about the various new concepts and ideas I have learned/am learning, but instead I’ll just post some pictures of the recent happenings at Fujikawa Kouka-en.
When I first started working for Mr. Fujikawa, he asked me what I really want to study here in depth to which I immediately replied anything and everything about bonsai display. I’ve always had a vested interest in bonsai display and find the Japanese approach very thoughtful and inspring. I understand that opinions vary widely on the subject outside of Japan, but for me it seems that the well-designed displays found here are one reason for the unmatched level of bonsai in Japan.
As a matter of fact, I was speaking to a customer the other day about the subject and he told me that even ugly trees can be made to look beautiful if the approach to display is correct. He showed me a few examples of bonsai in the Kokufu-ten books that were less than good standing alone, but were phenomenal when displayed correctly - that includes everything from choosing the perfect pot, to the stand, to the correct spacing within the display area. It’s not that so many rigid rules exist (like many people claim), it’s moreso about having a “good eye” for what looks right and ultimately what is right that makes the bonsai of Japan so incredible in my opinion.
Everyday when I show up for work in the morning, I’m expected to set up a new display in the Tenjijo (display room) for Fujikawa to critique and correct. Some of the pics below are of displays that I’ve made at the nursery over the past few weeks. Many of the trees are former Kokufu-ten bonsai, others are future hopefuls. Feel free to comment/critique!
Overview of Fujikawa Kouka-en (sale trees)
Important Bonsai Masterpieces (Kichou Bonsai)
Japanese White Pine
Yamadori Needle Juniper with Kusamono and Japanese Maple
Japanese Red Pine after candle pruning and thinning
White Pine, Kusamono, and Trident Maple (San-ten Kazari)
Yamadori Black Pine, Kusamono, and Kurama Ishi Suiseki (The stand is a bit heavy for the pine though)
I’ve officially started my apprenticeship at Fujikawa Kouka-en in Ikeda City, Japan! The first few days have been trying but equally as fun. Before I arrived, I was told by Mr. Fujikawa that I would be required to undergo a two or three month trial period before he would decide about whether or not to keep me on as an apprentice long-term. I assumed this meant I would be sweeping and cleaning the nursery for hours on end and never getting to lay a hand on anything until those two or three months were up. Much to my surprise, I was asked to jump right in on the first day and got to work on some material! Even more surprisingly, the bonsai I worked on weren’t just bland, mass produced material but rather Kokufu-ten and National Treasure bonsai!
In the first few days on the job I’ve also learned a lot about Mr. Fujikawa. Turns out he originally apprenticed with Saburo Kato at Mansei-en in Omiya, Japan for a 5-year period nearly 25 years ago! Mr. Fujikawa’s style in terms of bonsai reflects that of Mr. Kato in many ways - most of his trees are of a quiet nature and reflect the natural landscape of Japan. Fujikawa also grows just about every type and size of tree he can find, though most of the bonsai in the nursery are large deciduous plants. We’ve been thinning and defoliating maples, quince, oleaster, and stewartia among other species for about 10 hours straight every single day. I don’t mind the work at all, as a matter of fact I have it relatively easy compared to most apprentices in Japan and Mr. Fujikawa is a nice, laid-back boss.
Below are a few pictures of the nursery and some of the material we’ve been working on over the past few days/weeks. I’ll be posting more in the near future. Thanks and enjoy!
Fujikawa Kouka-en
Some of the shohin bonsai
Large, old Japanese Maple - recently on display at Daihatsu Co. Headquarters
Large Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria) - future Kokufu entry
“Hakuryuu” - The White Dragon after I finished pinching and cleaning it
One of the top 3 Star Jasmine’s in Japan (and the world)
This past weekend, the Knoxville Bonsai Society hosted the 5th annual Knoxville Bonsai Show on the University of Tennessee Ag Campus. I’ve posted some pictures from the event in the gallery section listed above. Enjoy!
Hello all. My name is Bjorn Bjorholm, welcome to my bonsai blog site. The point of this site is to share with everyone in the bonsai community my experiences as a bonsai apprentice at Fujikawa Kouka-en in Osaka, Japan. Beginning in June 2008, I will be undertaking a full-time apprenticeship under the guidance of Mr. Keiichi Fujikawa at his Osaka-based nursery. I plan to update this site on a regular basis so that those who are interested can share in my experiences in the Japanese bonsai world and hopefully learn from them as well. For more information about my involvement in the art of bonsai, please visit the links above. Thank you and enjoy!