The area around Omiya-Koen, Omiya Park, hosts the Japanese National Bonsai Museum.
It is just north of Tokyo and about 1/2 an hour from our house.
In addition to the museum many bonsai growers and nurseries are in this area.
The museum is hosting the World Bonsai Conference next month and a wonderful exhibition is already in place.
Some of the bonsai on display are classified as national treasures and are hundreds of years old.
This was a favourite of mine. its actually a quince tree, I like the natural look and the texture of the trunk.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqerQzVqJcPsJG1hwcYidvisbgAdjWz2LsHKNjBkWkUOC7kU7qW4HZzfZZIt5119pgN82EDxPT8KhSa0O290hHf9eDDGGWd6crhLzJ3FEWEZ_CUjohoWKZew0eLJIv0AYH3VaGrjT4_84/s320/C4CDC5BF-F9C8-4ADB-B820-83CD2C0CF2D4.JPG)
After the greart Tokyo earthquake of 1923 the bonsai growers of Tokyo moved en-mass to this part of Omiya where there was more land available and they all settled together in this area.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQxOk-AHiMLGXQWrzZJxZrS0vpD1TnCnkyJTBjz0KVEwhDoxJfWIfetA80yXi-43AnkXQhV9M8rptOPHpL_h3t0IL8U-H9RgPKJZX9zR_4R2xwP5ujAnujH3M9801_cKoDJciPgqctx8/s320/9EEBBA5F-41A6-4BB4-93C7-9996643B158A.JPG)
The growers adopted a set of strict rules beween themselves one of which was that their gardens and nurseries should be freeely open to the public.
To this day quite a few of the growers and gardens survive and it is lovely to walk and explore amongst them.
The streets are wide, beautful and quiet and a great contrast to the modern jumbled
ugliness of much of settled modern Japan.
As a bonus we came across an archery school practicing.