The 2024 98th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition is being held in two parts this year (Part 1 February 9-12, 2024 and Part 2 February 14-17, 2024.) Again, (like most years) the exhibition was held in the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan.
Each bonsai in Part 2 of the exhibition was outstanding. I personally thought Part 2 was better than the earlier Part 1. I recognized many famous masterpieces and this part did have several Ezo spruce. A few unusual species were included which I enjoyed studying: Contorted Boston ivy, Forsythia, Pemphis , Amalenchier, Creeping fig and Gardenia. Although the shohin bonsai were stunning, their display seemed not as good as those in Part 1. There were to shohin bonsai compositions that had two painted containers, one above the other. Realizing everyone has different tastes, many of the finer points of bonsai go on through and are not obvious. The provenience of the tree, past owners and rarity of the species is combined with your level of understanding of this art form.
Gardenia
Amelanchier
Forsythia
Loose flowering hornbeam- Red bud hornbeam
There were 12 bonsai displayed by owners from foreign countries: Germany, Sir Lanka, Italy, Spain, China and the United States. Of course, these were Japanese trained bonsai and I doubt if the owners ever watered.
Hemlock
2024 98th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Part 2 Data:
146 display areas
2 Special Displays (Imperial bonsai collection and honorary President of the Nippon Bonsai Association)
6 Important Bonsai Masterpieces
3 Kokufu Bonsai Awards: Sargent juniper, Chinese quince and Sargent juniper. The Sargent juniper was in an unusual antique Chinese container, AND was displayed by a superb small size Japanese snowbell
Sargent juniper
Chinese quince
Sargent juniper
Japanese snowbell
6 Shohin Bonsai Compositions (30 trees)
27 Medium-size Bonsai Compositions (54 trees)
110 Large-size Bonsai
Total Displayed Bonsai (205)
Ezo spruce sinuous style forest
