[The Four Seasons and Bonsai] The grand four seasons, encapsulated in a small pot. Stone, Tree, Flower's bonsai are so endearing they'll make your heart ache.

A vast natural world in a small container.
Bonsai brand Sekibokka x SiKiTO collaboration
"Shiki to Bonsai" begins

At SiKiTO, we offer products and services that celebrate the changing seasons.

While our branch subscription service delivers the most impressive branches of the year, trees in nature inherently transform through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Spring flowers, summer leaves, autumn fruits, winter defoliation. We wondered if we could appreciate such transitions of trees in our living spaces. It was with this thought that we encountered the bonsai brand "Sekibokka," based in Murayama City, Yamagata Prefecture.

四季と盆栽〈秋〉

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In fact, bonsai is currently attracting attention as it moves away from its classic image.

People of all ages are said to be captivated by its charms, such as the condensed natural scenery within a pot and the profound pursuit of beauty as a living art.

The name "BONSAI" is also spreading overseas, and Sekibokka also has products in Paris and Taiwan.

Sekibokka's bonsai selection includes not only classic tree species like pine and plum, but also surprising varieties that make you exclaim, "This is bonsai too!" All of them boast a modern and refined appearance.

The adorable palm-sized containers are also a fresh touch.

The gently rounded pots are all fired in Sekibokka's own kiln and come in original colors. The most suitable pot is coordinated for each tree species and size.

In their cultivation greenhouses, tens of thousands of bonsai trees are lined up as far as the eye can see – a truly magnificent sight!

They are also focusing on cultivation from seeds, and on the day of our visit, young maple shoots, about a month after sowing, were lined up in planters.

四季と盆栽〈秋〉

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It takes time for bonsai to grow into small, yet sturdy branches.

For example, a palm-sized beautyberry (komurasaki) has typically grown for about 6 years since germination. It takes at least 10 years for it to become suitable for a two-handed pot.

Enkianthus campanulatus, also familiar as a branch specimen, is said to grow only a few millimeters (!) a year as a bonsai.

Incidentally, the size of a bonsai is determined by the size of its pot, so it was impressive to hear that even bonsai trees with their forms meticulously shaped will quickly resemble wild trees if planted in the ground. They are truly artistic plants.

Bonsai, carefully cultivated under the open sky, are individually replanted into pots by Sekibokka staff, moss is applied, and they are carefully packaged and shipped throughout Japan.

In the professional world, the saying "three years for watering, ten years for moss" is famous, but Sekibokka's care routine is surprisingly simple!

SiKiTO recommends displaying multiple bonsai of the same size together. It creates an irresistibly charming scene.

We plan to offer carefully selected bonsai according to the season, such as pine and plum in winter, and cherry blossoms and Deutzia in spring.
We would be delighted if we could bring the quiet and rich joy of enjoying the changing scenery of the four seasons all to yourself into our customers' lives.

 

四季と盆栽〈秋〉

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