Guide to Yamaji Sanshoen

A five-minute walk east from JR Hashioka Station in Takamatsu, Yamaji Sanshoen’s blue-colored signboard emerges. The garden’s second owner, Hiroyoshi Yamaji, is proud of his bonsai shelves which display a rich variety of plants — the mainstay matsu (pine) and non-pine zoki plants in containers. ”I have come to handle a wide variety of trees in response to various requests from customers,” says Yamaji. He says he has paid attention to expanding the line of products that can satisfy the needs of customers abroad. On the garden’s shelves are a number of large and small plants in containers, such as kuromatsu (Japanese black pine), shimpaku (Sargent’s Juniper) picked from the wild, kaede (Japanese maple), satsuki (satsuki azalea) and fruit-bearing non-pine zoki trees. Goyomatsu (Japanese white pine) trees have won popularity because of their delicate figures. Goyomatsu trees are advantageous in that they are allowed to be exported to the United States and Europe. His mainstay product is ”Gin Yatsubusa,” a goyomatsu species. Yamaji is also cultivating other goyomatsu species, such as ”Nasu Goyo” and ”Zuisho.”

In addition to conventional sales at the garden, Yamaji was fast to launch a garden website to sell his products on the Internet. The website, named Sanshoen Bonsai Export, can be accessed easily from personal computers or mobile phones. The website operator and customers conduct sales mainly through an exchange of e-mails. The operator sends photos of bonsai products in response to a customer’s request, and currently several inquiries from around the world.

”Business deals can be done on the Internet even though the garden is closed,” Yamaji says. Selling via the Internet is a ”safe and efficient means of business.” He has set up a photo studio in the garden to provide beautiful photos of bonsai products.

Visitors are also welcome, says Yamaji. He pays a visit to bonsai production areas and bonsai lovers in and outside Japan several times a year to gain a wider knowledge of bonsai. ”I would like to gain a rich knowledge in order to catch up with the needs of customers,” Yamaji says. The garden owner who is eager to deepen his knowledge can give bonsai lovers the chance to find their favorite products in pots.

Brief comments from the owner

You’re all welcome!
Please consult us about anything without restraint — your image of a new bonsai plant you want to grow, species of plants you plan to cultivate, your budget, and so on. We are ready to respond to any request from customers. I am confident that you can find your favorite potted bonsai product at my garden. If you feel self-conscious about visiting the garden, you can send your inquiry by e-mail.

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