The Kinashi Bonsai District is the source of many different bonsai varieties, but by far most trees from this region are black, red, and white pines. Each of these varieties are typically grown here in pure “river sand.” Warmer winters and hot muggy summers make river sand the perfect medium for pines in the region.

River Sand

River Sand

The growers tend to develop trunks in the ground, then dig the trees to develop the branches. Given enough time, some fun trees result.

Black pine

Exposed root pines

At each nursery, I asked the proprietor if he or she had pine seeds for sale. The first time I heard yes, I was led to the back reaches of the property where said seeds were kept in a workshop. I’ve been growing some of these seeds for almost a year now – a small reminder of Shikoku in my own backyard.

Workshop

Flats and pots by the workshop

Wandering through the nursery-ridden neighborhood offered views of different approaches to growing pines. Some plots were tidy, others rangy, others seemingly abandoned. With the price of rough pines as low as it is in Japan today, it can cost more to dig and care for a tree than one can make selling it.

Growing Grounds

Pine foliage

Mini bonsai forest

Some not-so-healthy cork bark pines

More less-than-healthy cork bark pines

White pines

Black pines

Pines in need of a haircut

Little pines

At the Kinashi bonsai center, several nurseries had trees for sale, including some new varieties. The senzyumaru black pine below had tinier foliage than kotobuki yet the variety grew more vigorously. Here’s the oldest of the batch.

Senzyumaru

Behind one of the growers, the proprietor’s son – one of the convention headliners – maintained a fabulous collection of shohin bonsai.

Shohin

Shohin exposed root black pine

Black pine

Young black pines

Japanese pepper tree

Back outside, it was all pines again.

Rangy black pines

Well kept pines

Many well-kept black pines

I finished the afternoon at a nursery near the start of my tour. It was famous for a black pine with extraordinary branches. Seriously extra-ordinary.

Black pine