The Art of Bonsai Making

Meet the Master

Kanta began his bonsai career at the age of 19, training at his relative's bonsai nursery in Omiya’s Bonsai Village. As one of the younger generation of bonsai professionals, he has organized major exhibitions and collaborations, introducing bonsai to new audiences while helping carry its traditions into the future.

What you’ll do

Learn the history of bonsai and the Omiya Bonsai Village with your guide at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum. Then, head to one of the six remaining historic bonsai nurseries. There, under the guidance of the 3rd-generation bonsai master, create your own bonsai following traditional methods. In the end, you’ll receive souvenirs to bring home with you.

If you would like to book a tailor-made bonsai experience, contact us at info@deeperjapan.com.

Who can attend

Children must be 7+

Availability

Access

50 minutes from Tokyo Station.

Includes

Entrance fee of Omiya Bonsai Art Museum
Hachi (bonsai pot) and tools
(For the bonsai making experience: If you’d like to bring the bonsai you made home with you instead of the hachi and tools, please note that importing bonsai internationally involves detailed procedures and that permission is not always granted. For this reason, we recommend international guests to bring home the hachi and tools instead of the bonsai.)

About Omiya Bonsai Village

This experience is located in Omiya Bonsai Village, a neighborhood known worldwide for its multiple bonsai nurseries and bonsai museum. This village was formed in 1925 after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, when Tokyo’s bonsai nurseries were affected by the disaster and needed a new place to rebuild. Ōmiya was selected by these nurseries for its clean water and good soil, essential for cultivating healthy bonsai.

Pruned, Wired, and Watered

Literally translated to “planted in a container,” bonsai more broadly is the art of pruning and cultivating small trees in pots to achieve the subdued and stately aesthetic of an old tree in nature. The origins of bonsai in Japan trace back more than a thousand years, when Buddhist monks introduced the practice from China. Over the centuries, the botanical art evolved into a distinctly Japanese form, admired by aristocrats, samurai, and eventually enthusiasts across the country, and viewed today as a living expression of nature itself. Each tree has a heritage—its branches shaped by time, its form reflecting wind, rain, and the human hand that guides it. Explore the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum with your guide and learn more about the history of bonsai in Japan, as well as about the development of the Omiya area as a bonsai village. Then, try your hand at crafting your own bonsai tree, under the guidance of the 3rd-generation bonsai master, and create a living art in the historic bonsai village of Omiya.