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BOOK REVIEW

And now for something

completely different….

A review of Keshiki Bonsai: The Easy Modern Way to

Create Miniature Landscapes by Kenji Kobayashi
Cover depicting
some of the
By Michael Collins-McIntyre, Canada miniature
landscapes
ecently, in the depth of a Winnipeg winter, Paul Collard gave a presentation discussed in
to our local bonsai society on an innovative and engaging book that he had the text.
Rjust discovered. Temperatures hovered in the -30s. There was not much
to be done outside except to get inside as fast as possible. The book was Keshiki Kobayashi, Kenji
Bonsai: The Easy Modern Way to Create Miniature Landscapes by Kenji Kobayashi. Keshiki Bonsai: The Easy Modern Way to
Paul wasn’t sure that it was really about bonsai in a conventional sense but was Create Miniature Landscapes
certain that it related to bonsai culture broadly and that it was visually engaging. Paperback: 176 pages
The book also offered the prospect of projects that could be undertaken indoors, Publisher: Timber Press (Oct. 2 2012)
inexpensively, and by individuals who had very tight living quarters or were un- Language: English
able to undertake the more arduous aspects of collecting, growing and training ISBN-10: 1604693592
larger bonsai. Paul had requested photos depicting some of the landscapes in- ISBN-13: 978-1604693591
cluded in the book. These sparked lively discussion that moved quickly beyond
definitional quibbles to recognition of the compelling aesthetic appeal of the work.
Figure 1 – “Stark angles are used to create a beguiling
“Keshiki Bonsai” translates as “landscape bonsai.” The author, Kenji Kobayashi, contrast for (this) keshiki bonsai.” The result is a living
originally trained as a landscape architect in Japan and then studied with Toshio contemporary sculpture of quiet elegance.” Photo
Kawamoto in Portland. Kawamoto’s masterpiece: Saikei: Living Landscapes in Min- courtesy Timber Press.
iature is a classic in the bonsai literature. Formal training in landscape architecture, Figure 2 – A peaceful, waterside scene is created in a
large bowl. The composition uses wetland plants: cat-
massaged by Kawamoto’s influence, infuses Kobayashi’s work. Kobayashi is also tails, goldenthread, azure bluet, and Japanese mountain
shaped by the hugely dense urban environment of Tokyo in which he works. He moss. The top dressing of Fuji sand adds drama. Photo
creates miniature landscapes that are evocative and often tell a story. They are courtesy Timber Press.
sometimes simple, perhaps even austere.
Other works evoke the peace, calm, and
deep aesthetic appreciation of a bonsai or
bonsai garden. Comparison of the sim-
plicity of Figure 1 with the organic flow
of Figure 2 illustrates how these miniature
landscapes can evoke very different re-
sponses even while using similar material.
Keshiki Bonsai begins with introduc-
tory material on the basic knowledge
of the materials and techniques needed
for developing and maintaining minia-
ture landscapes. The book is organized
around thirty-seven projects the range
of which is suggested by the cover photo-
graph. Each of these depicts the creation
of a landscape in richly illustrated detail.
The individual projects are enriched with
background on general principles of Japa-
nese design and contain glimpses of the
work of artists in other domains. For ex-
ample, Figure 1 features a pot made by
one of the profiled artists, Mito Yajima.

January/February/March 2014 | BCI | 59