Page 12 - Ebook cây cảnh Art of Bonsai

12 The art of bonsai

Shows and exhibitions this created allowed the association to put on an even
The exhibition of bonsai became a pivotal part of the larger exhibition to promote bonsai to a national and
art form—and remains so today. The first recorded international audience. Expo ’70, the world fair held
exhibition dates back to the Tenmei period (1781–88), in Osaka in 1970, showcased bonsai to millions of
where pine trees shaped in the traditional way were people. This was the start of the modern bonsai boom,
displayed annually in Kyoto by professional pine and subsequent years show great levels of interest.
growers catering for demand from the aristocratic
connoisseurs. From 1912 Japanese bonsai became West meets East
increasingly organized. A national exhibition held Although the West had been aware of bonsai since the
outside in Hibiya Park ran from 1914 to 1933. After the 1600s, it wasn’t until the Meiji period that it became
success of a few indoor exhibitions, the national show more widely known. The first contact with bonsai was
moved inside to the Metropolitan Art Gallery in Ueno, at international fairs at the turn of the 20th century,
Tokyo. The idea was to promote the seasonal beauty of most notably in Paris in 1878 and London in 1909.
bonsai through exhibitions held in both spring and After the Meiji revolution (1867–68), the Japanese
fall. Many of the exhibitors were politicians, high- diaspora created a sizable community on the west
ranking civil servants, or wealthy aristocrats, giving coast of North America that brought the practice of
the impression that bonsai was an expensive and elite bonsai to the West, and over time clubs and teachers
pastime. The outbreak of the Second World War emerged. But perhaps the biggest influence on modern
created many problems for the bonsai community and Japanese and Western bonsai occurred in the postwar
the national exhibition took a three-year break. period when the interest of occupying forces sustained
a bonsai community on the verge of collapse. Over ten
In the 1950s exhibitions and classes sprang up. years after 1945, hundreds of thousands of Americans
Alongside the domestic resurgence, increased interest and Europeans spent time
from outside Japan created a need for more in Japan, and many
organization, and in 1962 a national society was continued their
proposed to bring together seven smaller regional and interest in bonsai
national clubs, finally forming in 1965. In the interim on their
the fledgling Nippon Bonsai Association put on a
large exhibition in Hibiya Park to coincide with
the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. The impetus

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