Page 20 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2014Q2

The 88th Kokufu Each exhibited tree is subject

to a panel of judges who
Bonsai Exhibition decide if it is acceptable and

if it might qualify for one of

the awards that are given out
By Tom Elias, USA to the outstanding trees of

Photos by Tom Elias and Dato K. H. Chua the year.

Left; Mr. Jiro Fukuda, Chairman
of the Nippon Bonsai
Association.
Right; The main exhibition
hall for the Kokufu Bonsai
exhibition held in the Tokyo
Metropolitan Art Museum.

he prestigious Kokufu bonsai-ten, sponsored of trees the second week of this grand exhibition. This
by the Nippon Bonsai Association (NBA), is allows the association to display a greater number of
held every February in Tokyo. At this event, outstanding trees. It is not surprising then to see peo-
the best bonsai in Japan are brought together ple line up to get into the exhibit halls, particularly on
Tand displayed at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art the weekend and the holiday that occurs in the second
Museum in Ueno Park. This has been done every year half of the exhibit. Over 12,000 people came to this
except when the museum was recently closed for two year’s Kokufu bonsai-ten.
years for extensive renovations. It is now re-opened Each exhibited tree is subject to a panel of judges
and once again hosting the Kokufu bonsai-ten. Koku- who decide if it is acceptable and if it might qualify for
fu-ten literally means “national style exhibition” or one of the awards that are given out to the outstanding
“Japanese style exhibition.” It is the culmination of a trees of the year. This is an exhibit for the hobbyists.
series of smaller exhibition that are held each year in However, since the competition is very keen, many
Japan. owners will place their best trees in the nurseries of
The space in the renovated museum is limited; the leading professional bonsai artists in Japan. Then,
therefore, the NBA changed the format of the Kokufu prior to the exhibition, owners and their stylists exam-
Bonsai Exhibition to have half of the trees exhibited ine their trees to see which ones are in the best condi-
for a week, then they change and exhibit another suite tion for submission to the Kokufu bonsai exhibition.

18 | BCI | April/May/June 2014