Tokyo · Cultural Experience
Two hours with a bonsai master, and a tree you shaped yourself.
From
¥19,000 per person
approx. US$120
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmation
A bonsai class in Tokyo taught by a professional master. You learn what bonsai is actually trying to do — which is not what most people assume — and then make one, with all tools and materials provided. Guests living in Japan take the tree home; visitors leave with the knowledge and the photographs.
Most people arrive thinking bonsai means keeping a tree small. It does not. The master explains what the practice is really concerned with — suggesting age, weather and landscape in something you can carry — and once that lands, the pruning decisions stop looking arbitrary.
You work on your own tree, with tools provided. Which branches go and which stay is the whole craft, and the master guides each decision rather than doing it for you. The first cut is the hardest to commit to. It gets easier.
Guests living in Japan take their bonsai with them. Visitors cannot, because live plants cannot be carried across borders, so the master will talk you through what to buy and how to start once you are home. Either way you leave knowing how it is done.
Meet at Daimaru Tokyo, by Tokyo Station.
What bonsai is, and what it is not.
Work on your own tree, with the master guiding each step.
Potting, care instructions and photographs.
The workshop will take place at Bonsai Seikouen, located on the 10th floor of Daimaru Tokyo Department Store, which is directly connected to Tokyo Station. Daimaru Tokyo is right outside the Yaesu North Exit ticket gate of Tokyo Station—very easy to find. Please arrive 10 minutes before the start time. The workshop will begin promptly at the scheduled time. If you arrive late, we will not be able to wait for you, and the experience cannot be extended. Your guide will meet you there and contact you on WhatsApp beforehand.
No. Live plants cannot be taken across most borders. Guests resident in Japan take theirs; visitors leave with the knowledge, the photographs and advice on starting at home.
None. Most guests have never handled a bonsai and the class assumes nothing.
Yes, for children old enough to handle small tools carefully. Tell us the ages when you book.
The lesson, all tools and materials, and English-speaking instruction throughout.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Bookings are confirmed instantly.
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