20 and Under

No, it’s not a flashback to a ’60’s drug inspired fantasy I’ll try to stay on (and off topic) regarding Shohin bonsai. The title ‘20 and under’ refers to my feeling that shohin bonsai are those under 20 cm tall. I was a bit surprised when staying at Taisho en in Shizuoka Japan that one of the Japanese Shohin bonsai Associations allows up to 25 cm. Seems a bit big to me. Mr. Urushibata said that some of the old and valuable shohin in Japan just got too big for the ‘20 and under’ classification so the powers that be increased the size limit (to keep them more valuable? There’s that pesky bonsai politics again!) Anyway, to my taste, 20 cm seems the more appropriate limit. Hope you enjoy.