Kokufuten Bonsai @ Tokyo Metropolitan Museum

The 90th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo. 

In order to display more traditional Japanese bonsai to the world, The 90th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition is being held in two parts again this year. The first part was held on February 5-8, 2016 while the second part on February 10-13, 2016, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo. Then on February 9th, all the bonsai are removed replaced with new trees.

This exhibition had its beginnings in 1934 and took place 2 times a year in March and November. Count Matsudaira, who popularized shohin bonsai, was President of the Kokufu Bonsai Association who organized and sponsored the exhibition until 1964 when the organization dissolved and reorganized as the Nippon Bonsai Association.

Today, the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition is organized and run by the Nippon Bonsai Association, but sponsored by the City of Tokyo, Ministry of Education and NHK TV.

This year, for the first time in modern history, photographs are allowed, but without flash. This apparently made all the cell phones snapping away as well as some with professional cameras.

Over 200 bonsai of most species and styles are displayed at the most prestigious bonsai exhibition in the world with the longest history, the Kokufu-ten.  Sponsored by the Nippon Bonsai Kyokai (The Nippon Bonsai Association).
With a bonsai market near the Museum at Ueno Green Club.

Hinoki Cypress from Imperial Bonsai Collection

​90th Kokufu-ten exhibition
February 05-8, 2016
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, 8-36 Ueno-Koen Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0007.