Page 36 - BSAM 2015 Q1

INNOVATIVE SAIKEI
featuring Tropical & True Indoor BonsaiTM
By David W. Fukumoto (Kurtistown, Hawaii, USA)
Above; A dwarf schefflera saikei tray planting of a tropical banyan scene. This was planted several years ago into my favorite Yamaaki Tokoname tray, 18.5 by 12.5 inches with a depth of 1.75 inches, that will be used to present the innova- tive concepts presented in this article.
It is 15 inches tall above the rim of the pot. It is a lot easier to create saikei that depict “near views.” It’s a lot more difficult to create distant panoramic scenes that require more detailed rocks and trees to a much smaller scale.
Saikei, or tray landscapes, evolved after the devastation of World War II when survivors of an impoverished nation sought to create some natural beauty to brighten their lives. Curved roof clay tiles, rocks, and young trees became the first saikei. In the example above, they are the result of detailed planning with all components carefully selected and assembled. Tray landscapes are usually intended to be maintained and improved as bonsai for many years.
As Japan recovered, Toshio Kawamoto taught saikei. He created and photographed beautiful arrangements that he used as examples to guide his students. He obtained carefully selected assortments of rocks, pre-trained “yatsubusa sugi” (a dwarf Cyptomeria) into detailed small-scale replicas, and had all needed components and supplies available. The rocks and young trees were relatively inexpensive; and by using good design and techniques, beautiful arrangements were created.
34 | BCI | April/May/June 2015