A Self-Introduction and Photo Tour of Hiramatsu Shunshoen

Hello and welcome to my Bonsai blog “Part-Time Deshi”, the name I’ll get to later for those who don’t know what a ‘Deshi’ is, but, firstly an introduction about myself.

I’m Evan Marsh, a 20 year-old Australian, Sydney based Bonsai artist who is trying to make the leap from amateur to professional. Three years ago I joined my local Bonsai club, Nepean Bonsai Society, where I was fortunate enough to meet one of Australia’s best Bonsai artists, John Marsh (A possible relation that is yet to be confirmed). For those who do not know John, he has been doing Bonsai for over 40 years and in my opinion is one of the greatest Australian Bonsai artists of all time, and deserving of being titled an Australian Master. In the last few years though, John has been on the decline when it comes to demonstrating, so many newer Australian bonsai hobbyists may not have heard of him, or had the pleasure of seeing him work. Enough of me singing praises about John though…

Over the last few years I’ve been mentored by John, who has taught me a great deal and has also encouraged, and pushed, my Bonsai skills and styling senses. Much like everybody else who does Bonsai, it seems to pervade into every aspect of your life, as I am also currently studying Agricultural Science at the University of Sydney, looking to hopefully major in plant physiology. I guess you could say I have “Bonsai Brain” (If anyone has a cure, let me know), and don’t ever see myself not doing Bonsai as a career in future. And like many others who also have this dream, the logical step is to go to Japan to study with one of the Japanese Masters.

In April of this year I was fortunate to meet Koji Hiramatsu at Australia’s national bonsai convention. Some friends of mine told him about me, and how keen I was to study with him. Over the months following I talked and planned with him about staying at his nursery to learn, and he took me on as his apprentice. So for the next 3 months (during my university holidays) I will be studying at Hiramatsu Shunshoen with Koji and his father Kuniaki (or Big Boss as he is known).
(If you haven’t figured it out by now, Deshi is the Japanese word for apprentice)

That’s enough about myself. Now onto the photo tour.

This here is Hiramatsu Shunshoen (with what has to be one of the best car-parks in all of Japan). Around the car-park is nothing but yamadori Black Pine. The bench along the house is where the nurseries best larger trees live, including the tree styled by Koji for for his very first Kinbon (Japanese Bonsai Magazine) article. The upstairs in the house is where Koji lives with his family, and the workshop being downstairs. That little balcony you can see above the workshop is where some of his customers Shohin live.

Here is the inside of the workshop. The man sitting in the the photo is one of Koji’s customers, who was kind enough to shout us dinner and a dip at the onsen that night. To the left is where we all work, with Kuniaki at the far end of the room and Koji just to the left in the photo. Unfortunately I’m smack-bang in the middle of both of them, so I’ve always got a set of eyes on me while I work. Wiring that big Black Pine in the middle was my first task (Which I will cover in a later post).

The other wall of the workshop. A TV which keeps us entertained all day long, and shelves of stands and pots. I’ve had my fair share of Japanese TV over the last 2 weeks and I’m definitely starting to understand a bit more than when I first got here. My favourite show at the moment has to be the 15 minute drama in the mornings that’s set in old times. Every episode seems to be a tear jerker with either someone dying or a child being born. Most of the stands there are for sale, and in that cabinet under the TV lives all the rare pots. The second day I was here Koji showed me the Yuzan he has (If there’s one Japanese potter you have to know, it’s definitely him. I’ll take some photos for a future pot post that’ll have some Yuzan and Gekkou pots in it.)

The Shohin Balcony. It’s looking a bit empty at the moment because most of the Shohin are in the greenhouse in preparation for Gafu-ten (Shohin exhibition in early January for those who don’t know).

You thought the Yamadori car-park was cool, this is the other side of the house. Nothing but rows and rows of Yamadori Black Pine. That small brown shack is where I’m staying, affectionately known as Deshi-House. That old looking place behind the wall in the back is the original Hiramatsu house where Kuniaki used to live. He showed me some photos of himself back in the 80’s looking super cool, along with some photos of a younger Gerry Rainville from when he was here.

Now the Yamadori-Pit from the other side. Those are rows and rows of pots in the foreground. There is a real mix of different stuff in there, from cheap chinese pots to Tokoname ware. I haven’t even begun to have a look at what’s in there, but, I’ll get around to it at one point. The shade house is where the tour is going next.

Probably the best looking place in the nursery at the moment, with nothing but shelves and shelves of trees ready for sale at Gafu-ten. Although the photo is quite light, it’s actually quite dark inside, with double strength (is that the right term?) shade cloth currently being used. I wish there was some cool scientific reason for why we’re using such dark shade cloth, but, in reality Big Boss ordered the wrong shade cloth.

Here is what Takamatsu Bonsai is probably most famous for, its field grown pine. The rest of the property is pretty much taken up by rows and rows of ground grown pines. Those Black pines are about as tall as I am (so about 1.6m-1.8m), and the White pine are about knee height, and of course all of them have ridiculous bases to them. Surprisingly nearly all of Takamatsu’s nurseries except for 2-3 (including Koji’s) are all growing nurseries, with there being around 100 nurseries in the Takamatsu area. They also ship their stuff world-wide (That’s going to be another future post).

All those Black pine in front are all of the Corky Bark (Nishiki) variety. There has to be maybe 150-200 of them and I’m not even sure how long they’ve been in the ground for. It’s just a shame that at the moment Black pine can only be exported to Taiwan, cause I know that everyone would kill to have some material like that, and Koji seems pretty keen to be able to export it as well. Though I hear some negotiation is occurring with the government to be able to export to Europe, so you Europeans will definitely be a lucky lot if it does happen.

That’s pretty much the end of the tour. I’ll probably try and make a post in the next few days about what happens when a truckload of Bonsai is shipped from Kagawa to Europe (Lodder Bonsai of all places, for all those on Europeans on Reddit (I’m looking at you Jerry)). So in the words of Troy McClure, I’ll leave you with what we all came here to see. Hardcore Bonsai Porn.

Also some Photos of the current squad at Hiramatsu Shunshoen:

Big Boss – Kuniaki Hiramatsu

The man himself – Koji Hiramatsu

And yours truly – Evan Marsh