Last Updated: August 6, 2023
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The Sakufu-ten -- Creative Bonsai Exhibition -- is the only one where professional bonsai growers can exhibit traditional trees under their own names. Even though it is a relatively small exhibit, the quality is high. It provides bonsai professionals direct recognition for their work. As such, Sakufu-ten prizes are valued highly by many professionals. And unlike the multiple Kokufu prizes which can be awarded every year, there is only one grand prize awarded at each Sakufu-ten. By convention, this tree is a large conifer. Professionals submit their trees for judging in October and learn who the winners are soon after. The trees are photographed at this time as well in order to have the catalog available for the exhibit. A few months later, the trees are returned to Tokyo for the exhibit. The first Sakufu-ten was organized by the late Hideo Kato in 1975 at the Daimaru Department Store at the Tokyo Station branch. For about 30 years it was held there (just a short distance east of the Imperial Palace compound) in early to mid-January by Bonsai Kyodō kumiai, the Bonsai Cooperative Society. However, they then lost their main sponsor so moved the event to early December at the Ueno Green Club (5 km northeast of the Palace), which is also home to the massive sales area during the Kokufu exhibit in February. The 2011 Sakufu-ten exhibit occupied the first two floors of the Green Club. A related exhibit was held on the third floor that consisted solely of Important Bonsai Masterpieces (kichou / kicho). Outside the Green Club, vendors offer the usual variety of trees, pots, tools and the like. The 400 growers of this association are the source of the vast majority of trees for bonsai in Japan; however, the growers are not often recognized for their styling skills. This exhibit provides that opportunity. Among the awards presented to the best trees are the Prime Minister's Award, the Environmental Minister's Award, the Agricultural and Fisherie Minister's Award, and the Minister of Science and Education Award. The Mainichi Newspaper sponsors this event and publishes the annual photo album of the trees displayed. An appealing sales area of plants, suiseki, equipment, and supplies offers everything an aspiring or experienced bonsai artist needs. Approximately 20,000 visitors attended the January, 2002 exhibit. An award ceremony for prize winners is held on Saturday after the exhibit closes for the day. Most attendees are bonsai professionals in town for the exhibit.
NOTES: "The Best Bonsai and Suiseki Exhibits in Japan" by Dr. Thomas S. Elias, originally published in Bonsai, BCI, May/June 2002; "Sixth [sic] Creators' Style Bonsai Exhibition" in "International News and Notes," International Bonsai, Spring/81, pg. 27; "The Bonsai of Ernie Kuo, The Art of Bonsai; "Guests to Crespi Cup 2023, Crespi Bonsai; "We Have a Winner! by Wayne Schoech, Bonsai Bark; "Japanese Shows," Crataegus.com, November 1, 2008; "Japanese Five-Needle Pine," "About the Cover," International Bonsai, 2010, No. 1, pp. 26-27; "Sakufu-ten -- the bonsai professional's exhibit" by Jonas DuPuich, Bonsai Tonight, February 7, 2012; "Sakafu/Kokufu Shimpaku Juniper" section of "2013 Kokufu-ten Submissions" by Tyler Sherrod, January 21, 2013; "Bonsai Summer Festival: Part 3, Melanie's dreams, September 21, 2013; "Kunio Kobayashi," Bonsai Empire; "Esprit Bonsai" Facebook post, December 19, 2014; "44th Nippon Bonsai Sakufu-ten Exhibition," Esprit Bonsaï blog, December 21, 2018; "Boon's Sensei, Kihachiro Kamiya," Bonsai Boon; "Bonsai Master's Voice," Tokoname Bonsai Pots; "Profile - Toshio Ohsugi, Garden Owner," Gashouen, 2019 ; "Some of the Most Exquisite Bonsai You'll See Anywhere (if I exaggerate, it's only by a little) by Wayne Schoech, Bonsai Bark, December 14, 2019; "Demonstrators," The 2021 EBA Convention; "Matsuda Seishoen bonsai garden; "The Beautiful, Brutal World of Bonsai" by Robert Moor, The New Yorker, November 14, 2022; "Teachers/Gallery," Bonsai no Takamatsu; Sakufu album picture from "Bonsai Network Japan." "Re: EBAAugsburg2022," post by PeterBonsai, Bonsai Fachforum, Nov. 15, 2021. Several websites have partially outdated info regarding when this event takes place. Per Bonsai Empire's "Bonsai exhibitions in Japan" (Wayback Machine since at least Aug. 21, 2016) "Sakufu-ten, Tokyo. A Bonsai exhibition held early January."); per More Japan Please "8 Bonsai Exhibitions in Japan You Really Should Not Miss", (Wayback Machine since at least Sept. 21, 2020) "The Sakufu-ten is held each January in Ueno, Tokyo." Per e-mail from Ms. Harumi Fujino to RJB 20 Nov 2011, the Sakufu-ten takes place in December and is "held by Bonsai Kyodō kumiai (Bonsai cooperative society) which is in Ueno Green Club." Per William N. Valavanis in e-mail 30 Nov 2011 to RJB to clarify this discrepancy, "For about 30 years it was held in mid-January at the Daimaru Department Store at the Tokyo Station branch. However, they lost their main sponsor so moved the event to the Ueno Green Club. It has been held in early December for the past few years." And per ebay-offered albums, the 2nd is dated 1977 through at least the 17th dated 1992 -- all one year past our page's listings. Per Bonsai Network Japan, the 31st album is dated 2005, which matches our chronology. Back to Top
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