VISITING KIMURA'S GARDEN (JOHN ARMITAGE)
The images in this gallery were all taken on a few days away during my study at the nursery of Nobuichi Urushibata in early 2007 in the garden of Masahiko Kimura. I had first looked at Kimura sans first book when I was about 14 years old. It had taken me 20 years to finally get there!
It was during the Kokufu ten, held in the second week in February that we managed to visit the exhibition, the bonsai Museum of Kunio Kobayashi and last but certainly not least, the garden of Masahiko Kimura.
Starting early Sunday morning we, Mario Komsta, Rudolpho Lazo and I caught the bus from Nihondaira service station in Shizuoka to Tokyo and from there, the train to Ueno Park. The park is where the famous Kokufu ten exhibition takes place annually.
The meeting point for bonsai enthusiasts
Overview Kokufu-Ten exhibition
The Green Club in Ueno Park
We spent a mind blowing day at the exhibition and Green club. The Green Club is the area for bonsai traders to sell their wares and is separate to the main exhibition and is accessed by a shuttle bus.
We stayed at the apartment of Daria Podgorska and, early the following morning we walked out to the museum of Kunio Kobayashi, Shunka en.
Shunka en is beyond being a nursery. It homes some of the finest bonsai in Japan as well as having an amazing collection of suiseki and antique pots. The displays within the tokonoma were staged by my friend Peter Warren. At the time Peter was the senior apprentice to Kobayashi and was responsible for the day to day running of Shunka en. Both Kobayashi and Peter made us most welcome and we spent a morning admiring the trees and museum.
Shunka-En nursery
Shunka-En nursery
Some Kunio Kobayashi trees
Japanese black pine at Shunka-En
After lunch, with the help of Daria, we had arranged to visit the garden of Masahiko Kimura. She literally rang Kimura up and asked if it would be ok to visit. Two trains and a taxi later we were at his gate.
I found Kimura to be a humble man, still as keen as possible to learn more about bonsai. As his wife brought us tea and refreshments, he answered our questions via Daria who interpreted for us. We also had the opportunity to meat with Ryan Neal. Ryan is an American who had been with Kimura for a number of years and intended to stay for 7 years. This made my stay fade into insignificancy.
Red pine in Kimura's garden
A proud moment - Myself and Kimura
Sadly the visit was all too brief and we needed to travel back to our nursery in Shizuoka that night. But needless to say that this hectic 48 hour period will be etched on my memory forever and I am truly grateful to those that made it possible.
Best wishes,
John Armitage.
This article is submitted by John Armitage, who travelled to Japan to study bonsai in the nrusery of Nobouichi Urushibata. You can find a more complete travelogue on the website of the Northern Classical Bonsai Group.
