Omiya: A Village Born for Bonsai
Nestled on the outskirts of Tokyo, Omiya is both the home and custodian of Bonsai, the centuries-old art of growing miniature trees in a pot.
Sense of Wander: ★★★★★
At the entrance to Mansei-en (蔓青園), a bonsai garden located in close proximity to the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum.
OMIYA, Japan — In Japan, it’s common to find miniature trees in a pot adorning tea rooms, gardens, or the hallways of hotels. But did you know that these miniature plants, known as “bonsai,” go beyond mere decoration? They hold a significant place in Japanese culture and aesthetics. And did you know that, just about an hour away from Tokyo by train, there’s a small village called Omiya that was born for safeguarding this time-honoured tradition?
Titled “I Want to Get the Price Reduced”, this 19th-century ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) depicts a woman eagerly seeking to make a bonsai pot purchase, with one pot in each hand. Image courtesy of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum.
The History Bits of Bonsai in Japan
Bonsai is the Japanese art of caring and growing miniature trees planted in small pots, meticulously shaped and pruned to mimic the allure of full-sized trees in an aesthetically pleasing form.
Tracing its roots to the traditional Chinese practice of penjing, meaning “potted landscape,” the earliest depictions of bonsai date back to the wall paintings inside the tomb of Prince Zhanghuai, the son of Emperor Gaozong (reigned 649-683) during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
The exact date of when bonsai was introduced to Japan remains uncertain, but traces of bonsai plants appear in picture scrolls from the late Kamakura Period (1185-1333), gracing the gardens of nobles and influential figures. Bonsai gained widespread popularity during the Muromachi Period (1336-1573), particularly among priests and samurais, with figures like Yoshimasa Ashikaga of the Muramachi Shogunate embracing it as a cultural icon of the era. In the Edo period (1603-1868), feudal lords constructed expansive gardens in the suburbs, complete with specialised facilities for plant storage, reminiscent of modern-day greenhouses.
In the late Edo period, cultivating bonsai emerged as a hobby among commoners, vividly captured in ukiyo-e woodblock prints depicting scenes of commoner enjoying and caring for their plant pots. Moving into the Meiji period (1868-1912), bonsai gained popularity among influential politicians and businessmen, evolving into a symbol of social status. Remarkably, bonsai even found a place in joreishiki, women’s learning centres, where it became one of the subjects taught alongside music, calligraphy, tea ceremony, and etiquette.
From the museum’s archive, this vintage leaflet offers a nostalgic journey into the history of the Omiya Bonsai Village, revealing the array of bonsai gardens that once adorned the townscape.
Birth of Omiya Bonsai Village
While gardeners in the Bunkyo ward of Tokyo initially cared for the gardens of feudal lords and samurai, some of them began to specialise in bonsai cultivation. As urbanisation and house development accelerated, these gardeners faced space constraints. In the aftermath of the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, a group of professional bonsai gardeners and business owners embarked on a quest for a new land for bonsai cultivation, one blessed with fresh air and water. Their search led them to Omiya.
Ritaro Shimizu, the proprietor of Seidaien bonsai garden in Tokyo, played a pivotal role in the formation of Omiya Bonsai Village. In April 1925, he relocated to Omiya, and the village was established as a self-governed community of bonsai gardeners.
Omiya was envisioned as a tourist destination centred around bonsai. Ritaro and fellow garden owners actively encouraged other bonsai enthusiasts to make the village their home. By 1928, a village union was formed, and a residents’ agreement was drawn up. This agreement outlined specific criteria for residents: owning 10 or more bonsai plants, opening their gardens to the public, avoiding two-story houses, and refraining from building brick walls or hedges.
In 1930, around 30 bonsai gardens thrived in the community. However, during my visit, only six of these gardens remained. Nevertheless, the serene atmosphere that permeates the two-story houses and the remaining gardens provides a glimpse into what the place was like at its zenith.
Today, Omiya Bonsai Village is renowned for its captivating bonsai masterpieces, drawing enthusiasts not only from Japan but from around the world.
A train ride of about an hour from Tokyo brings you to Omiya. Stepping out of the train station, the quiet streets, characteristic of a small town, greeted me. Yet, despite the stillness, it was evident that this little town is infused with a profound love for nature and a commitment to simplicity. It felt as though each household held a deep understanding of bonsai and perhaps even the secrets of the universe.
Omiya Bonsai Art Museum
If you’re keen in learning more about the rich history and culture of bonsai, there’s not better place to visit than The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum.
Opened in 2010, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum stands as the world’s first public museum dedicated to bonsai. With a collection of over 120 bonsai masterpieces and a wide range of related artefacts such as bonsai pots, suiseki (miniature landscape stones), books, and woodblock prints, the museum offers a comprehensive exploration of this unique culture.
For visitors like me, who are beginners to bonsai, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum provides detailed guidelines and criteria on how to appreciate bonsai, making it an accessible and enriching experience.
Since the Edo period, people have been adorning both indoor and outdoor spaces with potted plants. By the end of the Edo period, gatherings known as sencha-kai, attended by those interested in Chinese arts, began showcasing bonsai planted in Chinese bonsai pots.
A manual from the Meiji period emphasises the crucial role of overall harmony when creating a bonsai display in the alcove of a traditional Japanese room. Typically, bonsai assumes a prominent position, blending with items such as hanging scrolls, suiseki stones, and wooden display boards known as “jiita.” In the museum, visitors can witness how different styles of Japanese rooms, ranked according to social functions, come to life with the addition of bonsai.
Named “Chiyo-no-matsu,” meaning “Pine of a Thousand Years,” this Japanese White Pine (Goyo-matsu) stands as the largest bonsai in the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum's collection. Captured from a worm's eye view, this 500-year-old bonsai emanates a majestic aura, with its web-like branches supporting an expansive canopy of pine needles.
Bonsai can be categorised into two groups: shohaku and zoki. Shohaku refers to conifers, characterised by their deep green needles, and they are considered the typical bonsai. The roots and trunks of shohaku, thriving with vitality, showcase their beauty in various forms. On the other hand, zoki exhibit a range of changes with the progression of seasons. Some zoki are admired for the shifting colours of their foliage throughout the seasons, while others are appreciated for their flowers and fruits.
In the appreciation of bonsai, it is crucial for viewers to imagine a grand natural landscape compressed into a pot. Beyond observing the overall shape and form of the bonsai, viewers should pay attention to each element, from its root (nebari) to the trunk (tachi-agari), from the branches (edaburi) forming the silhouette to the foliage, which often influences the overall impression conveyed by bonsai.
What makes bonsai truly fascinating is that these miniature trees, meticulously shaped and pruned to achieve a desired form, wouldn’t be possible without human intervention. This is where the art of bonsai comes into play, akin to a two-way communication between the bonsai grower and the plant itself.
The museum's Collection Gallery showcases bonsai of excellent quality, chosen to represent the finest examples across seasons and species. However, the highlight at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum lies in its outdoor Bonsai garden, featuring around 60 pots of bonsai on display. Some of these bonsai can be appreciated from various angles. Armed with the fundamentals from Bonsai 101, revisiting these bonsai provides a fresh perspective, akin to viewing works of art.
The dynamic undulating trunk of this Bonsai earned it the name “Hokusai,” inspired by the renowned artist of the woodblock print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. This Japanese Juniper (shimpaku), estimated to be around 350 years old, stands as a living testament to the passage of time and the artistry of nature.
The trunk and branches of this Japanese Juniper (shimpaku) — estimated to be 100 years old — exhibit remarkable vitality and energy, capturing the essence of nature's resilience.
A close-up view of the trunk of a Needle Juniper (tosho), approximately 300 years old, reveals its unique character, setting it apart from other bonsai on display.
My favourite bonsai among those on display is a shimpaku, or Japanese Juniper. Like a master artist itself, the dynamic undulating trunk of this bonsai earned it the name “Hokusai,” clearly inspired by the renowned artist of the woodblock print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Estimated to be around 350 years old, this shimpaku stands as a living testament to the passage of time and the artistry of nature.
In fact, both shimpaku and matsu — a type of pine tree — can, over time, experience partial decay on their trunks and branches yet still maintain their shapes. This process creates a beautiful contrast between the green leaves and the revealed white, skin-like surface. The perished tips on the branches are called “jin,” and the decay on parts of the trunks is called “shari.”
The nucleus of the museum's bonsai collection originates from the Takagi Bonsai Museum, including those that were once in the possession of politicians and academics. Many of these bonsai are well over 100 years old, handed down through generations and adorned with elegant titles.
The outdoor Bonsai garden at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum showcases a diverse collection of bonsai pots, each a unique microcosm unto itself.
Among the six remaining bonsai gardens in Omiya Bonsai Village, Kyuka-en (九霞園) was the only garden closed on the day I visited.
Wander in Omiya Bonsai Village
After visiting the museum, I ventured out to explore the six remaining bonsai gardens in this town.
On that chilly morning in Omiya, the streets were notably empty, the temperature dropping to 10 degrees Celsius. But this didn’t dampen my curiosity for exploring the town. Guided by a map, I meandered along the quiet streets, occasionally sharing the road with passing bikes and cars.
As if having the entire town to myself, I explored Mansei-en (蔓青園), Seiko-en (清香園), Shoto-en (松濤園), Fuyo-en (芙蓉園), and Toju-en (藤樹園). Unfortunately, Kyuka-en (九霞園) was closed during my visit.
Each of these bonsai gardens showcased a diverse array of bonsai plants, varying in size and species. For bonsai enthusiasts, a thorough visit to each garden can easily take more than half an hour.
Despite the treasures offered by these gardens, most were surprisingly empty during my visit, and I found myself the sole visitor. However, I did observe an enthusiast arriving — a man dressed in a suit — who seemed to be in search of the perfect bonsai.
On my way back to Omiya station, I made a brief stop at a monument located at the heart of the town. Erected in 1935 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the village’s establishment, this monument in stone pays tribute to Ritaro Shimizu’s pivotal role in founding Omiya Bonsai Village.
Before leaving, I spotted a poster on the street, a reminder that the year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Omiya village. In that moment, I made a wish to myself: I hope to return to this place and celebrate the town’s centennial with its people, if God wills.
A stone monument erected in 1935 commemorates Ritaro Shimizu's significant contributions to the establishment of Omiya Bonsai Village.
Tips for wanderer — The Omiya Bonsai Village is located in the city of Saitama, just north of Tokyo. It can be easily accessed by train:
1. From Tokyo to Omiya Station
- Take a JR train from Tokyo Station to Omiya Station. The journey takes approximately 30-40 minutes, depending on the type of train.
2. From Omiya Station to Omiya Bonsai Art Museum
- Once you arrive at Omiya Station, simply walk towards the direction of the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, It takes about 10 minutes on foot.
Time needed for visiting Omiya?
An in-depth visit to the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum takes about 1 hour. Afterward, I encourage you to explore the rest of the town on foot. Visiting the six remaining gardens in the area will take about 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on your pace. Please be reminded that photography is prohibited inside these bonsai gardens.
Thinking of planning a trip to the Omiya Bonsai Village? Visit their website.
Reference:
Hayashi, S. (2018) The Birth of Omiya Bonsai Village — 100 years of History. The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum.
Hayashi, S. (Ed.) (2017) The Story of Bonsai - The History of Bonsai from Ancient Times to the Present. The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum.