A standard term to refer to the years of cultivation of a bonsai tree. It means the years of cultivation as bonsai in a pot. For example, one expression is that ”’Mochikomi’ is old.” This is a description of a bonsai tree that brews a sense of antiquity and rich taste on its trunks and branches after being grown in a pot for a long period of time. A bonsai tree that is cultivated in a pot for a long period will naturally have a sense of elegance. Its trunks and branches brew a sense of the traditional Japanese aesthetics of ”wabi” and ”sabi.” So, whether ”mochikomi” is old or not will decide the value of the tree.

translated by Kyodo News