Kagawa Bonsai Production Promotion Association sent three bonsai producing areas,Kinashi, Kokubunji and Ryonan, one each of mother trees of Yumenishiki which was new variety of Nishikimatsu (cork bark Japanese black pine) and developed by them in 2000. In Takamatsu’s Kokubunji town, Ayada Tadashi and his son, Tadahito, keep and grow it.

The trunk of excellent quality

Tadashi opened the Ryoshoen Bonsai Garden and he has 50 years’ experience of bonsai. He has mainly grown Nishikimatsu (cork bark Japanese black pine) and 70 percent of his trees are still Nihisikimatsu (cork bark Japanese black pine). Tadahito was in bonsai section when he worked in Japan Agriculture Cooperatives. He started working with his father when he resigned it in 2006.

Tadashi is one of the good grafters in Kokubunji and there are shelves of young seedlings grafted by him. With the estimation for the technique, he had probably been selected as the grower who keeps the valuable mother tree.

“The most important thing for Nishikimatsu (cork bark Japanese black pine) is quality of trunks. This pine tree has the trunk of excellent quality. It’s hard and its split is magnificent. The needles also have good quality such as thinness and dark-green color.” Tadashi told many attractions of Yumenishiki.

Get air like ancient tree within short time

Yumenishiki grows fast so it gets the air like ancient tree soon. In 3 or 4 years after grafting, it will get the good shape and also atmosphere like masterpiece.

By the experience of sales in JA, Tadahito says, “It goes against the tide that people spend 50 or 60 years to grow a tree. I think trees which grow fast will be welcomed from now on. It’s important for us to have not only artistic and expensive bonsai but also reasonable one. I think the main point to regain popularity is easiness of growing and improvement. It’s interesting to find reasonable tree and grow it into the excellent bonsai with great care.”

Some people think it is difficult to grow Yumenishiki. This is the reason why it is unpopular among the people. But Tadashi has a different idea. He said, “This is a kind of Nishikimatsu (cork bark Japanese black pine) so we don’t have to do wiring for the tree. Compared with other pine trees, you can save a lot of time. All you need to do is to understand its nature. It’s easy to grow.”

Shohin (small-sized) and Chuhin (middle-sized) bonsai grow fast and can be shipped soon so they are getting the popularity. “Yumenishiki will be the mainstream of Nishikimatsu (cork bark Japanese black pine) from now on,” they said with one voice.

(By Shigeo Hano)