A sprawling natural landscape in a single pot.

This is the heart of bonsai.

Today, the concept of 'bonsai' is recognized and appreciated by people around the world.

From modern pieces that suit western-style interiors...

To tiny, palm-sized plants.

New approaches are making bonsai more familiar.

Today's guest, Hirao Masashi, is breathing new life into the world of bonsai.

His unconventional bonsai are making waves around the world.

Explore the evolving world of bonsai with Hirao.

What a beautiful day, isn't it?

It's wonderful.

And today, Andy We are visiting Saitama city.

Saitama City has the perfect condition for growing bonsai.

Now, today corrector come from all around the world to find a beautiful, you know, pieces became the destination of bonsai.

And you know, I have been interested in bonsai for few a long time, I wanted to buy my own and have, you know, gone to the step yet, I really excited for today.

Hello, Hirao-san.

Hello.

A pleasure, I'm Andy.

Hi, I'm Shaula.

Hello! I'm Hirao.

It's great to meet you both.

This here is Seisho-en?

My bonsai garden, yes.

I can't wait to explore.

Hirao's bonsai garden opened in February 2023 after a refurbishment.

It's a 450-square-meter space packed with all kinds of bonsai - some over a century old; others, works of modern art.

Please.

Oh wow.

There are so many!

How many do you have?

I've never counted!

But including the small ones, nearly a thousand.

That's extraordinary.

Please, find one that speaks to you.

Going by instinct...

I'm rather fond of this one.

'Ishitsuki.' It's called ishitsuki bonsai?

Almost like it's clinging to a cliffside.

Exactly.

As you say, this characteristic style is reminiscent of a tree barely clinging to a cliff through years and years of wind and rain.

I like to see things survive despite harsh environments.

That really speaks to me.

I love ishitsuki bonsai myself and often make them.

Do you?

The master I trained under was a legend for his rock-clinging bonsai.

I see!

After graduating university, Hirao joined this 170-year-old bonsai garden.

He studied under the director of the Nippon Bonsai Association, Kato Saburo.

Hirao learned this bonsai master's techniques and spiritual outlook.

One day, Kato asked him to cast his eyes to the wider world.

Hirao began working abroad.

Through gestures and sheer passion, he broke down language barriers to share bonsai's beauty in over twenty countries.

These cultural connections also helped evolve Hirao's own bonsai philosophy.

He threw off the shackles of tradition and began creating striking 'art bonsai.' Sculptural, dramatic shapes.

Hirao incorporates living trees to these objets d'art to create completely new pieces.

This art bonsai is, technically, ishitsuki bonsai.

What it's based on.

It would probably be called 'creative bonsai' today, but traditional ishitsuki forms its foundation.

I love this form as well.

Yes, I designed it around fall colors.

It's still winter so there aren't any leaves just yet.

But once it's verdant it will have a very different feel.

How lovely.

Do you feel there's a special...

perspective that adds to your enjoyment of bonsai?

For this particular work, the key lies at the bottom.

Look at the roots, here.

Oh wow.

Clinging to the earth.

Almost desperate.

And the first ten centimeters here.

They're very important because they shape everything else.

Hirao explains that when looking at bonsai, one should start by examining the roots.

Old roots clinging to the soil showcase the plant's vitality.

Then, examine the first 10 centimeters of growth.

This is what creates the feeling of a large, powerful tree.

You can do more than look from one side.

I suggest people crouch down and look up.

You'll feel like a miniature person.

There's so much to learn about bonsai.

Meanwhile, Shaula is looking for a bonsai that speaks to her.

Shaula grows plants at home and has been considering branching into bonsai.

I bought a moss bonsai once, but it didn't go well.

It died, and I've never really gotten over that.

I've spent years too scared to try again after that experience.

But who knows, maybe today's visit is going to be a turning point?

I'm hoping to learn what I can and give it another go.

Which bonsai did Shaula choose?

This one?

Yes.

It's lovely.

Isn't it?

This part here... I guess this section is dead, right?

It is.

This branch.

I love that it's intertwined.

Interesting.

Shaula was drawn to a 40-year-old Chinese juniper.

The single trunk has a living branch and a dead, bleached one.

A microcosm of life and death.

The bleached branch isn't going to produce anything or grow any further.

But you haven't trimmed it off.

I love how it's been incorporated into the bonsai.

It's the unique antiquity of this bonsai, part of its charm.

It has to be wrapped extremely carefully for transportation.

Oh, yes. I imagine it must be very brittle.

It is.

It'd snap.

Right off.

In the future, I want to lift the whole plant.

The best part of this bonsai is this curve here.

I want to show it off a bit more, which I think I could do by replanting and lifting it.

By bringing it up.

Hirao will replant the tree to showcase its eye-catching twisted trunk.

To ensure the bleached branch doesn't become hidden, the other branches will be wrapped in wire and carefully guided into new angles over several years.

Natural vitality and gardening skills coalescing to create astonishing designs.

What would you say is the most important part of caring for bonsai?

Daily observation.

Observation?

Being able to spot minute changes is absolutely vital.

If you see a very slight bend, you realize it's the effect of a bird perching there.

That's incredible.

But there are a thousand bonsai here.

Can you do that for all of them?

I can.

Incredible.

Some hesitation.

Just a little!

You had to think about it.

Sometimes a bonsai will become out of sorts, and I'll need to fix it.

Is there one like that at the moment?

This one here... is not very happy with me.

It doesn't look particularly out of sorts.

It went on display for two weeks, and something happened then.

It's sulking.

This Japanese red pine was lent out for a two-week exhibition.

Prolonged exposure to indoor heating reddened the tips of its needles.

Hirao is taking special precautions with watering until it recovers.

How is it now?

Feeling better yet?

Not quite!

It'll probably take around three years or so.

Wow, really?

It takes that long?

Once it gets this bad, I have to remove the wires, replant it, and check the roots.

I'll have to start again from there.

That's quite a relationship, isn't it?

It feels more like you're taking care of a child.

Do you ever feel that way?

I'm not sure.

Most of these trees are older than I am.

To be perfectly honest, I feel more like I'm learning from them.

After all, I'm too young to have learned all I need to about them.

I'm still learning everything I can right now.

Are there certain rules to follow to raise a bonsai's value?

If you focus on value, or push your own ego onto a tree, you'll ruin it.

It really comes more as a sudden realization - like, oh, this one's really improved.

Gains some sophistication.

I like that.

Before you know it.

They all go to different places and exhibitions.

And as they're examined and admired by all sorts of different people, the bonsai seem to wake up.

They suddenly feel very refined.

That's fascinating!

They notice the admiration.

Wow.

Are there any shy bonsai?

Ones which aren't comfortable in the spotlight?

There are definitely some that have a lot of potential but haven't quite realized it yet.

Take this one here.

I see.

If I move it to a new pot, it'll draw more attention, and start to wake up.

Interesting.

Bonsai have enjoyed the global spotlight for many years.

They first garnered international attention at the Paris World Fair of 1878.

They were displayed in a garden to introduce Japan.

It's said European visitors were astonished by the miniaturized natural landscapes.

The city of Saitama has historic examples of work done by past bonsai masters.

Like this hundred-year-old Japanese black pine.

Its thick, powerful trunk bends at its base before driving upwards.

Or this 350-year-old Japanese white pine.

It traces the form of a dragon reflected in water, soaring into the heavens.

The culture of bonsai evolved over centuries.

And it's this very culture that Hirao is looking to turn upside down.

To the strains of a shamisen, he heaps earth into a vessel and starts planting.

It's improvised bonsai in front of a live audience.

A 'bonsai performance.' Other venues offer a different experience.

A club in Milan, Italy.

Hirao works to the DJ's beats, adding moss, and creating new bonsai.

For those unfamiliar with bonsai, the performances are a captivating introduction to the artform.

We're now inside the Bonsai gallery.

And it's lovely!

Thank you.

I built almost all of it myself.

Wow.

I love making things, so I switched out my bonsai shears for a saw and began by tearing things down.

I took out the walls, ceiling, floor, and packed the ground.

Impressive.

I thought a bonsai gallery would be - honestly - a little stuffy.

But I have to say, this whole space is extremely stylish.

Thank you very much.

And right in front of us we have this extraordinary work.

Is this piece also from a bonsai performance?

Yes, I came up with it as a way to showcase how cool bonsai can be.

It took under 30 minutes to make.

That's amazing!

Less than 30 minutes?

Around 25 minutes.

It doesn't look at all rushed!

Does it have a theme?

It does.

Like all of my work, it's a microcosm of a mountain.

You can see the layers going up and up.

Yes, they're so striking.

You climb up the mountain from the bottom.

And you come across various plants along the way.

The sacred tree is at the peak.

Another theme was the concept of being top-heavy.

Stubborn and traditional.

I see.

Oh right.

A huge Chinese juniper sits atop a metaphorical mountain peak.

Hirao says it symbolizes the top-heavy, traditional world of bonsai.

In the bottom vessel is a small seedling.

This symbolizes Hirao himself.

It portrays a strong desire for his generation to break down tradition and find new ways to express themselves.

The world of bonsai is a very traditional world.

There are so many rules and expectations.

But it's those very rules that are keeping young people from coming in to keep the artform alive.

Partly it's because bonsai is so incredibly difficult.

It really doesn't leave much room for experimentation.

But as a bonsai artisan, the one major failure is if your work dies right away.

This piece has survived nearly seven years just the way it is.

In fact, the tree is only getting stronger.

Wow.

For myself, I think that's the bar I need to clear.

Makes sense.

I have a question - looking at this piece confirms for me that bonsai is art, which is something I've thought for years.

I understand that there are rules, but doesn't something as unusual as this still count as bonsai?

There's a lot of disagreement!

There was a debate in Europe over whether this is bonsai.

Europeans argued over it?

And yourself?

Is bonsai art?

In bonsai, the tree itself is the art.

It's grown for years and years alongside nature, and alongside human endeavor.

But with a traditional bonsai piece, I might own it for 20 years, but it's still not mine.

All kinds of people worked on that piece.

I might own it for now and work on it now.

But it's still not my creation.

So I think there's an argument for the idea that originality is a key part of the puzzle here.

I feel like your bonsai performances have the potential to spark something like a revolution.

Is that something you want?

I spoke to a bonsai gardener in Germany.

They said that until Japanese bonsai changes, the rest of the world can't do anything new.

It has to be Japan that shapes new ideas and drives innovation.

Otherwise, international fans are limited.

I see, so these gardeners are hoping for change from Japan.

A recent Japanese trend is making bonsai a little more familiar.

Tiny, palm-sized bonsai, called 'shohin,' or 'small-item' bonsai.

They've long been grown in bonsai gardens, but they took off on social media and are now more widely known.

They're an easy option for beginners.

Bonsai gardener Narimatsu Yukie is working to promote shohin bonsai to a wider audience.

I was captivated by bonsai
in an instant.

So tiny and sweet,
yet fruiting perfectly.

Elegant and dignified.
I had to try it.

A former plant therapist, Narimatsu realized that growing tiny bonsai is very soothing, and can help people relax.

At 50, she joined a bonsai garden as an apprentice, learning the techniques from scratch.

She went independent six years ago, opening a bonsai school in her own home.

Her workshops begin with participants choosing their favorite bonsai.

Then, they begin to shape them.

Bonsai look best
when leveled out.

Leveled out?

So you snipped this.
Now this one is long.

Left like this it's
the only thing that will grow.

Cutting even lengths will allow
all the branches to blossom.

Be bold!

Oh no! Just kidding.

- Did I mess up?
- You're fine.

Next, they prune the roots, which will affect the entire tree's growth.

Cut the thick roots.
Leave the fine ones.

So cut this one?

- That's right.
- Cut the roots?

Most people want to
leave the thicker roots.

But in bonsai that one root
will soak up everything.

You end up with one thick branch.

Slim roots will give you
lots of slim branches.

I'm scared to cut the thick one.

It's pretty scary but
it's a growing plant.

Pruning it takes courage
but it's essential.

Only by touching and working with the plants do we understand how alive they are.

It encourages understanding and compassion.

This is Narimatsu's goal.

After two hours, the group's first bonsai projects are complete.

Lift your bonsai, water it, and
examine it every single day.

This will feed your love for it.

Think of it as adopting
a new family member.

From seeing to creating; from admiration to affection.

A new perspective to broaden the potential of bonsai.

Narimatsu-san spent years exploring the potential of using plants to help people manage their mental health.

I understand that that's how she eventually landed on shohin bonsai.

I know that a lot of people had similar experiences during the pandemic.

Shaula, for example...you fell pretty hard for your houseplants yourself, didn't you?

I did.

I remember!

What's your perspective on shohin bonsai?

I think part of it is about looking for calmness and relaxation.

Touching leaves or bark or earth - it's a tangible reminder of our connection to the natural world.

And especially because of the pandemic, I was able to take my time and be like, 'You're looking healthy today!' That was another great aspect, I think.

I feel that bonsai, and plants more generally, give us room to breathe.

Caring for and enjoying plants brings a sense of relaxation, and of space.

If more people did so, it could really lead to larger changes, I think.

I see.

I think it would.

I also hold workshops in Tokyo.

And what I always find interesting is the little kids who want to take part.

We had this one family once who wanted to join in but I guess they didn't have time.

So they told the kid 'There's no time today!' And this kid sat down and wailed!

Just sobbing because they wanted to try bonsai.

Such passion!

That experience really stayed with me.

It made me realize that bonsai workshops have so much potential.

So Hirao-san, moving forward... what are your hopes and plans for bonsai in the future?

So, this is something my master used to say...

If you own bonsai, that means you are dedicated to loving and caring for something that isn't yourself.

If everyone in the world were to do that, war would be a thing of the past.

This is a philosophy that I really agree with.

Loving something that isn't human, but which is alive, is really significant, I think.

Seeing value in other living organisms is so important.

If you can do that, how could you bring yourself to kill another person?

I hope that what I'm doing helps bring that utopia just a little bit closer to home.

How lovely.

I've been given a new perspective on bonsai today.

How about you, Shaula?

Do you feel like having another go at it?

I do - I really do feel inspired.

I've wanted to for ages and now I've been given all this wonderful advice.

I think it's a sign that I need to give bonsai another chance.

Please, there are plenty to choose from!

That's true!

Thank you for talking to us today.

Thank you.

Thank you!

We must visit again.

Definitely!