1.
bonsai; miniature potted tree
The Japanese art of cultivating miniature trees in containers, or the trees themselves. The practice involves careful pruning, wiring, and cultivation to create aesthetically pleasing small trees that reflect nature.
盆栽 combines 盆 (tray, shallow pot) and 栽 (planting) — literally a plant cultivated in a tray.
Cultural note
Bonsai is a traditional art of growing miniature trees in containers, developed in Japan from the Chinese practice of penjing. A specimen can take decades to shape and is often passed down through a family, so age is part of its value. The aesthetic sits close to 侘び寂び: asymmetry, weathering, and restraint are prized over showiness. Note that in English 'bonsai' is sometimes used for the tree alone; in Japanese the word covers the practice as well.
Common collocations
- 盆栽を育てる: to grow bonsai
- 盆栽の手入れをする: to tend a bonsai
- 盆栽展: a bonsai exhibition
- 盆栽園: a bonsai nursery or garden
Common varieties
- 松: pine, the classic subject
- 梅: plum, grown for its winter blossom
- 紅葉: Japanese maple, grown for autumn colour
Similar words
- 植木: an ordinary garden or potted plant, with none of the artistic shaping that defines 盆栽