Craft and care for your own bonsai and learn from an award-winning master in this tribute to a sacred Japanese art.
The Shunkaen Bonsai Museum is a quiet and elegant place of reflection set up by a master of the bonsai craft. It features a range of immaculate miniature trees as well as antique pots, tables and book collections. Enjoy the quaint charm and rustic antiquity of this old-world setting.
When you arrive at the museum, study the immense pine tree that has lived for more than 1,000 years. Inspect the array of old books and Chinese pots that fill the shelves of the house.
In the garden, a vast selection of bonsai trees is set up on podiums. Walk along the pebbles and take your time to notice the slight differences that make each individual tree stand out. Continue past long rows of pots and spot the bonsai trees adorning the sides of the pond, which is filled with large fish.
Enjoy the absolute serenity in this hub of vegetation, which makes you forget the chaos of the city center. The bonsai trees were carefully nurtured by the illustrious bonsai master Kunio Kobayashi, who has won the prestigious Prime Ministers Award three times.
Chat with Kobayashi or one of his apprentices about the nature and artistry of the bonsai trees. Watch the docents hard at work, watering and trimming leaves in the pursuit of perfection.
Attend the Bonsai Experience to learn how to care for your own tree. It includes a lecture on the basics and a hands-on tutorial in making your bonsai, which you can take home with you. International apprenticeships are also available, allowing you to stay and follow the master’s movements for one month.
The museum opens Tuesday through Sunday, from morning until late afternoon. There is an entrance fee.
The Shunkaen Bonsai Museum is a little east of the heart of the Edogawa Ward. Drive east across the Shinnaka River via the Ichinoe Bridge to get here. Once in the area, stop at nearby sights such as Hachikoku Park, Setoguchi Park and the Hie Shrine.
