Still the Best Bonsai Show

Not a prize winner, but still a mind stopper. Here’s what Bill Valavanis has to say about this remarkable quince: “An unusual cultivar of Japanese flowering quince. This is NOT the Toyo Nishiki cultivar, but rather ‘Takane Nishiki’. Beautiful flowers, unusual container, but I personally do not like the design of the bonsai, so enjoyed the blossoms.” Bill does Kokufu I don’t know why we didn’t feature this earlier; it’s one of the most interesting pieces of bonsai news I’ve seen for a while. It’s by Bill Valavanis, from his visit earlier this year to the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition in … Continue reading Still the Best Bonsai Show

Elevating the Art of Bonsai Display

Takashi Iura facebook photos. Astounding tree and a very interesting display. Daring display Many of the bonsai on facebook and elsewhere are poorly displayed, though occasionally you see trees where the artist/photographer took the time and trouble to set up a decent display. But none (that we’ve seen) are displayed in such a daring and imaginative way as the trees in these photos. It’s not just the what, but also the where I usually like to see bonsai displayed with a bare minimum of background clutter. The cleaner the better. But in this case, the art of display has been … Continue reading Elevating the Art of Bonsai Display

Swept Away

Doing what you can We encourage you to think about helping the Omachi family. You can simply send your contribution to the address above, or, if you have questions you can contact marco@marcoinvernizzi.com. Doing what we can Stone Lantern is pledging 10% of all sales of Japanese items to the Japanese Red Cross and several of our contributors and customers have already pledged their help by donating contest winnings (see comments here).

A Great Tree & A Very Interesting Conversation

Juniper by Isao Omachi that just appeared on our facebook page. Though you can tell it’s a juniper, no specifics were given except that four of Mr. Omachi’s trees have been accepted in Kokufu-ten (universally recognized as the premier bonsai exhibition in the world). In Isao Omachi’s san’s own words “On January 25th 2010(Kokufu-ten judgement day) I am pleased to inform everyone that my 4 entry’s were accepted into this years 84 show! So I invite anyone who is willing to come see them! Starting on February 9th-17th hope to see you there!” And, in the words of others… The … Continue reading A Great Tree & A Very Interesting Conversation

Roy, Walter, Shinji, Isao & The Ichiban

Isao Omachi using the part of the Ichiban blade that is designed for cutting wire. Isao Omachi’s comments Here’s part of what Isao Omachi has to say about his Ichiban: “Compared to a normal pair of bonsai scissors, these are light and comfortable in the hand; you barely have to raise your elbow. You can multitask with ease, cutting swiftly through branches and wire… In addition to Ichiban’s unique design and efficiency, any level of bonsai student can have fun using a pair…” Roy Nagatoshi, Walter Pall, Shinji Suzuki and Isao Omachi So far Marco has sent us testimonials from … Continue reading Roy, Walter, Shinji, Isao & The Ichiban