Exhibition at Takao Komagino Garden with pots planted

Thor Holvila
Nov 16, 2024
2 min read

On the outskirts of Tokyo, by the end station of Chuo line, sits Takao Komagino Garden by the foot of the mountain Takao. It is a wonderfull little pearl of a garden surrounding, what used to be a private property that 150 years ago was donated to be a hospice. Today it is own by the town and open for the public. Two times every year, spring and autumn, they have a bonsai exhibition. This year we applied to participate with some of our pots planted by Yukiko Kasai from the Yukimono bonsai store in Tokyo. We are very greatfull and proud that we were accepted.

The beautyfull garden that is run by Takao town that are open for the public everyday, free of charge.

In the garden there is a display of bonsai

Some of the bonsai and kusamono displays that is part of the exhibition. My appologies for not adding names of plants and exhibitor due to language. My sincere appologies for that.

My wife Carina Jern had several of her pots displayed in the special ”Nandina” section (a japanese cultivated plant).

One of Carinas pot is third from the left. Planted by Nagata-san.

My wife Carina Jern displayed a blue pot on a high stand with a Chirimen Kazura (Trachelospermum Asiaticum) , planted by Yukiko Kasai. As shitakusa she choose on of my skull pots. I am very proud and honoured for that. Nagasawa-san first reaction was surprice over a skull, once we told him about the symbolic value of a skull as a contrast to the living plant, he gathered his collegues around it to have a talk about the importance of a story to the installation.

My display, a Cotoneaster planted in one of my ”Kraken” pots. Kraken is the seamonster that, according to Norse mythology, guards the coast of Scandinavia. Draging down ships into the deep fjords.

Fiddling around with the basics. I am not in anyway used to displaying bonsai on this level. Nagasawa-san is there in the shadows. (Notice the Dwarf Holly as a shitakusa in a pot by Carina Jern.)