Bonsai 盆栽 - Japanese Friendship Village - Balboa Park

While my wife was at the Arizona Bar Association Conference in Coronado, I took a photo trip to the San Diego Japanese Friendship Garden.

Bonsai Collection — Japanese Friendship Garden (niwa.org)

What is Bonsai 盆栽
Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing miniature, or ornamental-shaped trees or shrubs in small, shallow pots. The literal translation of bonsai is “tray planting” (bon – pot; sai – planting). A common misconception is that bonsai specimens are hereditary dwarfs; however, they are in fact, ordinary trees and shrubs. They are ‘dwarfed’ by a system of pruning roots and branches, and training branches by tying them with wire. The art originated in China but has been pursued and developed primarily by the Japanese. The direct inspiration for bonsai is found in nature – in trees that grow in harsh, rocky places that are dwarfed and gnarled throughout their existence. Prized characteristics are an aged-looking trunk and branches, and weathered-looking exposed upper roots. Bonsai may live for a century or more and are handed down from one generation to another as valued family possessions. Bonsai pots, usually earthenware and of variable shape, are carefully chosen to harmonize in color and proportion with the tree. A sizable bonsai industry exists as part of the nursery industry in Japan; California is home to a small-scale bonsai industry.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai

www.niwa.org/
The mission of the Japanese Friendship Garden Society of San Diego (JFG) is to develop a traditional Japanese garden as a center to educate, engage, and inspire people of diverse backgrounds about Japanese culture and community legacy.

JFG is an accredited museum that offers a variety of educational programs, exhibits, and cultural festivals to enhance appreciation and understanding of Japanese culture. Over 330,000 visitors from the United States and internationally attend the garden annually. JFG opened to the public in 1991 and is an expression of friendship between San Diego and its sister city, Yokohama. The garden is inspired from centuries-old Japanese design and techniques that showcase JFG’s living exhibition comprised of plants and florae native to Japan and San Diego. The second phase opened in 1999 and was designed by renowned landscape architect Takeo Uesugi, which included the addition of the Exhibit Hall, Activity Center, and Upper Koi Pond. The third phase, completed in 2015, incorporated a 200 cherry tree grove, large azalea and camellia garden, a water feature reminiscent of the San Diego watershed, and the state of the art Inamori Pavilion. Today, JFG resides on 12 acres and fosters a relationship between humans and nature, providing a respite attuned to Japanese simplicity, serenity, and aestheticism.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Friendship_Garden_(Balboa_Park)

DSC01464 acd2

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Taken in: United States / California / Inspiration Point North, San Diego (show map)

Taken on: July 12, 2023

Tags:

California

Balboa Park

Tree

Japanese Friendship Garden

San Diego 2023

ornamental tree

Al_hikesaz

ornamental

Western Hackberry

Bonsai

San Diego

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Sets appears in: • Balboa Park 2023 • Coronado San Diego 2023 more » • San Diego 2023 « less

Groups appears in: • San Diego • Zen Gardens more » • Parks, Arboretums, Botanical Gardens • Balboa Park • One Of A Kind • ~Beautiful Trees~ • San Diego Photography • Visit San Diego « less

Camera: Sony ILCE-7M4, f/8.0, 1/60 sec, 24mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Sony ILCE-7M4
Lens:	FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length:	24mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 13.3.1 (Windows)
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