Thursday was judging day for the Taikan Bonsai Exhibition. Julian Adams and I first went with the tour to visit the Ryoanji Temple, where I caught him selecting seed. We then took a taxi to the exhibition.

Julian Adams picking ripe seed from small leaf Japanese maples.

All the vendors were busy setting up their trees, containers, supplies, suiseki and other items necessary for the creation, maintenance and appreciation of bonsai. I saw Kenji Oshima, son on Mikio Oshima and congratulated him for winning the Prime Minister Award for the upcoming Japan Creator’s Bonsai Exhibition in early December. He was proud of a special display of one of his client’s trident maple bonsai.

Award winning bonsai artist, Kenji Oshima, Meiju-en Bonsai Garden in Okayama in front of his client’s display of Trident maple bonsai.

The first round of judging the bonsai was to select the finalists for the award selection…