Regardless of my reasons, while here I have picked up interesting facts on: history; sports; mythology; religion; what passes for food; why there is no central heating; bad driving; hospitals; money; art; and katana (Japanese sword). In fact, I like to state that hobbies are my hobby.
So, it was only a matter of time before the next hobby to entertain my fancy would be the prototypical Japanese one--the zen-like art of bonsai trees.
Calming, relaxing, beautiful and hysterical - sorry, historical. Viewing a bonsai tree is like contemplating one's own navel lint - you wonder how it all began. At least that's how I think.
Despite the serenity involved in bonsai-making, it is still an arduous task to create one's own masterpiece. Previous to by sojourn here in Ohtawara, I purchased a bonsai tree for my mother. Her perpetual green thumb soon turned black as the tree withered and died within the week.
Despite my initial experience with the hobby (I watched that tree die), I decided to try again for the first time. At least this time, my dogs wouldn't be around to over-water it.
The OBOE (Ohtawara Board of Education), after hearing me casually mention my mom's dead bonsai tree, was thrilled that I was interested in learning about a major Japanese hobby. I am? Okay. They spared no expense to give me the full experience.
They made one of the guys in the office (I don't know his name, but he has a big pile of papers on his desk) drive me to a private farm. I got out of our white car and was face-to-face with literally 100s of bonsai trees strategically placed all over the yard.
In broken English (hey, after nine months here, I've begun to pick-up the nuances of the Broken English language used by most Japanese, which has helped me well, not die), I was introduced to the Ohtawara Bonsai master, who bowed deeply to me and then spat at a cricket near my shoe. I didn't flinch, and bowed deeply in return.
That's all it took. I was now a student.
My new Bonsai Master explained that any plant could conceivably be turned into a bonsai tree. I was stunned. Not only did I just find out that a bonsai tree was not a breed of tree but a type -- but that the Master could speak perfect English!
In anticipation of this meeting, I had brought along with me a supposed 25-year-old Japanese Black Pine (more on this tree in a blog to come!) that I had purchased from a local flower shop for ¥ 8,000 (CDN $92.81). The Master took the beautiful potted tree from hands, shook his head, clucked his tongue and spat on the ground--again missing my foot, but landing on a large rhino beetle. He went to work.
Twenty minutes later, he had finished digging the old dirt away from around the tree's roots, and held it gingerly in his hands. He pulled out a coil of copper wire, and began shaping the tree into an a esthethically
pleasing shape. I can only assume it was a esthethically pleasing to the pine.
Still, this was better than I thought - tree bondage!
The Master showed me how to create an ideal bonsai form; prune the tree and even how to water it. When he finished beautifying it, he held it out to me and said it would cost ¥24 ,000 (CDN $34.84).
I stared at him and stammered: "But I'm with the JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Programme!" He added that it would cost about ¥100,000 (CDN $1,161.67) in Canada.
Turning my back to him, I plucked a hair from my nose. Turning back to face the Master, a tear fell from my right eye. After he picked himself off the ground following his laughing fit, he grinned and promised that if I visited him again, it was free. Although not agreeing with the principal of blackmail, I wholeheartedly accepted.
As I left the Master' school/farm he popped into my arms a new porcelain base for my bonsai tree - AND - in the true spirit of internationalization, a Japanese Red Maple Leaf bonsai tree!
Y'know, the people here in Japan are disgustingly kind and generous. Truly, this is a wonderful rife. Uh, I mean 'rife'. No, I was right before, I think.
Somewhere going to pot,
Andrew Joseph
PS: Today's title is by Toronto's own RUSH - whom I love. I brought along all my RUSH CDs to Japan - one of the Japanese teacher's I lent them to said he loved the music, but (to put it kindly), he wasn't sold on the vocals - sorry Geddy! Don't worry, according to Hit Parader, Geddy is ranked 13th on their list of top 100 greatest heavy metal vocalists of all time. Click HERE to sit in the shade of The Trees.
PPS: I'm ticked off - I seem to have lost all of my photos of me with the Bonsai Master in the house fire a few years ago. The flowering bonsai tree in the photo above is from a flower festival I visited back in 1991.
