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Encyclopedia ID 5376

Bonsai

Also known as 盆栽

Bonsai: photograph by Order of the Rose (薔薇騎士団)
Photo: Order of the Rose (薔薇騎士団), CC BY 4.0, source on Wikimedia Commons

The art of cultivating and shaping miniature trees in shallow containers.

How it is played

Growers prune roots and branches, wire limbs and shape trees over years to imitate ancient natural forms.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of Japan.

Origins

A living tradition passed from person to person; it is not tied to a single dated origin. It belongs to the cultural world of Japan and Korea.

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Sources

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