Nowadays, there are countless bonsai tree lovers all around the globe. Therefore, bonsai museums are also very popular among them. Almost every country has its bonsai museums now and many people like to visit there on their holidays to get a touch of bonsai and to feel its beauty.
We have found many people who are particularly searching on the internet for the best bonsai museum to visit. So today we’ve come up with the list of the top 5 bonsai museums in the world. So let’s dive into the entire article and gather the necessary information.
Well, let’s get started with what a bonsai tree is.
What is a Bonsai Tree?
Literally “Bonsai” means “tray plantation” or “a tree in a tray”. Experts say that this art has been around for over a thousand years. At first, this art form was found in China. Then it was practiced exclusively in Japan. And now bonsai trees are very popular all over the world.
Basically, a bonsai tree is a living tree that is trained and grown in a container at home or workplace. Thus, this beautiful art of miniature landscaping brings the three main aspects of nature- balance, harmony, and simplicity into the home or anywhere instead of gardens or forests.
Bonsai trees are generally grown from seeds like other trees in nature. But the thing is, they are transformed into miniature through a special cultivation system and pruning. But in this regard, don’t think that bonsai is a species of tree. The truth is, that many species of tree can be turned into bonsai by following several cultivation systems.
What Are the Purposes of a Bonsai Museum?
A bonsai museum comes with a lot of benefits for the visitors and as a result, it is becoming much more popular nowadays. Let’s see the major benefits of a bonsai museum.
- Most importantly, a bonsai museum helps to gain enough bonsai knowledge.
- A bonsai museum gives much pleasure to the visitors unconditionally.
- Not only bonsai trees, but a bonsai museum also displays various kinds of pots, scrolls, and stands related to bonsai, which provide significant information to visitors.
- It also displays various books based on bonsai that people need.
- Besides, a bonsai museum promotes the scholarly study of this art.
Top 5 Best Bonsai Museums in The World
Here are the names and descriptions of the world’s top 5 bonsai museums. So let’s have a look at them.
1. The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Saitama
The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is the first publicly run bonsai museum in the world. That’s why this museum takes first place on our list. This museum was opened in 2010 and it is located in Saitama, Tokyo, Japan.
Moreover, this museum has a vast collection of bonsai trees. It displays and studies bonsai and bonsai-related artifacts. It includes a collection of more than 120 bonsai trees, many bonsai pots, books, woodblock prints, and more. Among them, almost 70 pots of bonsai are always displayed there.
The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is usually open from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM six days a week except for Thursday.
2. The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, Washington
In recent times, one of the world’s finest bonsai museums is The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. This wonderful museum is located on the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum in Northeast Washington, DC.
The best thing about this bonsai and penjing museum is that the museum is free and open to the public. If you’re searching for a place to relax and meditate, this museum is one of the best places in DC for you.
Besides, this museum is also superb for those people who greatly love to know about bonsai, penjing, and related arts. The museum displays various kinds of bonsai trees and penjing which make the visitors delightful.
This museum has a vast collection of bonsai trees including Japanese collections, Chinese collections, North American collections, Special trees, and more.
3. Pacific Bonsai Museum, Federal Way
The Pacific Bonsai Museum is another wonderful creation for nature lovers in Washington DC. It is situated at Federal Way in Washington, DC.
This museum helps people to be connected with the living art of bonsai. Its collection boasts more than 100 world-class bonsai trees brought from China, Japan, Korea, Canada, America, and Taiwan.
The museum is free and open publicly six days a week except for Monday. It opens at 10 AM and closes at 4 PM.
4. Shunkaen Bonsai Museum, Tokyo
Shunkaen Bonsai Museum is one of the most highlighted and significant bonsai museums in the world. This museum is a museum and a garden too. It is situated at Nihori in Tokyo, Japan.
If you’re truly a bonsai lover as well as a nature lover, this museum should not be missed. Because there is a masterpiece of bonsai for you and it is a 1000-year-old pine tree displayed in front of the museum.
Besides, several tokonoma, many books, antique Chinese pots, and tables are displayed inside the museum. This museum is open from 10 AM-5 PM six days a week and it remains closed on Monday.
5. Bonsai Museum, Alcobendas
The Bonsai Museum is considered the best bonsai museum in Europe. It is located in Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain.
This museum has one of the best collections outside of Japan. It is also decorated with a nursery, a shop, a lecture room, and a workshop. But the museum is only open twice a week, Saturday and Sunday (11 AM-2 PM and 4 PM-6 PM).
Final Verdict
In this introductory article, we’ve tried to expose necessary information about the top 5 bonsai museums in the world. Hope this will be helpful to you.
But remember one thing, we made this list depending on the visitor’s ratings and reviews about them found on the internet. In addition to them, there are many bonsai museums all over the world. So if you truly want to know more and more about bonsai, these museums should not be missed.
The Pacific Bonsai Museum is located in Federal Way in the state of Washington, not in Washington, D.C.