Kanuma Satsuki Festival 2007, etc.

I haven't seen any photos from this year's Satsuki festivals in Japan, so here are some old ones I've just uploaded. The complete set (full-sized images) can be seen here:
http://cid-5c2bbe8223ddbf8d.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Kanuma%20Satsuki%20Fest%202007

and here:
http://cid-5c2bbe8223ddbf8d.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Metropolitan%20Plaza%20%7C5Ikebukuro%20Tokyo%7C6%20Satsuki%20Fest%202007

The second link is an exhibit I found by accident in Metropolitan Plaza, just outside Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo. If anybody has any information on the name of the exhibit or what organization puts it on, please post!

Kanuma photos:















Ikebukuro Metropolitan Plaza photos:

Lovely. Thanks for showing.

The azalea show always reminds me that even sticks in a pot can be beautiful at times, though I'm glad to see that more and more people are trying to style their azaleas to look like bonsai.

Thanks William.

Brings back lots of wonderful memories.

Rusell

Thanks for sharing William. I allways enjoy to watch azaleas in full bloom.

JimLewis wrote:The azalea show always reminds me that even sticks in a pot can be beautiful at times, though I'm glad to see that more and more people are trying to style their azaleas to look like bonsai.

What?

Jim, I guess you have never seen in person what William and I (and I assume others on this forum) have been fortunate enough to see in person. Rest assured, those don't just look like bonsai, they ARE bonsai - not topiary . Perfect taper and no big, ugly cuts hidden in a mass of foliage. The degree of development and refinement within those masses of foliage and flowers would blow your mind. Not always, but most of the time just like any other species used for bonsai. We always see satsuki shown in full bloom, but in the winter when they have shed old foliage and their winter colors come forward is another thing all together.

As for sticks, not everyone can afford or is old enough to have grown one of those really wonderful trees. We all start somewhere. Also, in Willaim's link to the pictures from Kanuma you will see many "sticks" in deep round pots that are like skinny towers of flowers. The Satsuki Festival in Kanuma is not just about bonsai. This is where the general satsuki loving public gets to see the latest named introductions for the first time. I remember that the displays of these plants had to be watched very carefully as people where known to reach over and help themselves to "cuttings" although they'd never touch the bonsai.

Russell

Russell Coker wrote:

JimLewis wrote:The azalea show always reminds me that even sticks in a pot can be beautiful at times, though I'm glad to see that more and more people are trying to style their azaleas to look like bonsai.

What?

Jim, I guess you have never seen in person what William and I (and I assume others on this forum) have been fortunate enough to see in person. Rest assured, those don't just look like bonsai, they ARE bonsai - not topiary :P . Perfect taper and no big, ugly cuts hidden in a mass of foliage.

I saw my first Azalea show in 1954. I used to live about 2 miles away from the Ueno site of the annual show in the Tokyo area. I've seen two others in person, and photos of several more.

And I am always struck by how ugly many of the azalea "bonsai" would be if they weren't in bloom. Traditionally, azalea bonsai growers grew for the flowers and NOT for the shape of the trees.

My comment was solely intended to note that it seems that more and more azalea growers DO seem to be putting effort into the tree-ness aspect pf their plants. No more and no less. No need to get your nose out of joint.

Some wonderful Satsuki, thanks for posting.

I understood Jims' comment about the Satsuki becoming more bonsai like, because I've also seen an exhibition in Tokyo where all the trees had been developed for maximum flower area. The trunks were trained as a repeated S with little or no taper and very large flat pads of flowers on the outside of each curve. These trunks were much taller than would be accepted for the given trunk diameter, to be bonsai as we know them.

Jim, sorry if that sounded pissy, rest assured there is nothing out of joint here. And trust me, I do know EXACTLY what you and Kev are talking about with regards to exaggerated porportions and monotonous "S" curves. Good God, I can only imagine what you saw in the '50's! I suppose this mistreatment comes from the fact that the reason for the creation of satsuki was for a floral display, kinda like chrysanthemums. I seriously doubt anyone was sitting around thinking "These things would make great bonsai!" 2 or 300 years ago. But don't think for a minute that if pines and maples put on a show like satsuki that they would have been treated any differently. And, of course, since they aren't trees, they have to take the form of something else so there is lots of freedom there.

Since I lived with a collection of satsuki bonsai masterpieces and the best of the best came to the Bonsai Park for the shows, I suppose my perspective could be a little slanted. The examples mentioned above only showed up in full bloom for the Satsuki Festival, they weren't something that you'd see in a serious November (or anytime) bonsai show. As I mentioned in my last post, we sadly don't get to see them in the other seasons they REALLy shine - fall and winter.

Russell