Photo by Colin Liddell
This was an interview I did in 2004 for an article in Tokyo Journal. I had some help from Kobayashi's English apprentice, 26-year-old Peter Warren. Kobayashi was not able or unwilling to answer some questions, which are not included here.
Liddell: What is the main appeal of Bonsai for those who do it?
Kobayashi: One of the main appeals of Bonsai is communication with nature. Modern life has lost touch with the natural world and Bonsai is a link back to it. Tokyo is full of concrete and buildings, which are ugly, but if you do Bonsai you can have some green in a pot.
Liddell: How did you first become attracted to doing Bonsai
Kobayashi: Life. Bonsai have a long life, longer than me and you. They have been alive in a small pot for hundreds of years and will be alive after I die. They also have their own personality, each tree is an individual with it's own characteristics and beauty. There are no two bonsai that are exactly alike. This makes it different from gardening.
Liddell: Many people think that Bonsai is cruel to trees because the tree is not allowed to grow freely. I have even heard it called 'foot binding' for trees. What do you say to such people?
Kobayashi: A person who does bonsai must love their trees more than anything. You have to look after it everyday, give it food and water, keep it healthy, but most importantly you must love it. How many trees out in nature receive such love and care? How many 1000 year old trees are there still alive and as healthy as the 1000 year old Bonsai? If you do Bonsai with love then the trees do not suffer any more than they do in nature. Nature itself is cruel, that is where Bonsai comes from, trees up in the mountains subjected to the cruelty of nature, strong winds, snow, rockfalls. Those trees are not allowed to grow freely but they still grow. They battle against nature and sometimes they win to become beautiful trees, sometimes they die. That is natural.
Liddell: Bonsai is often seen as an old man's hobby. Does it have something to offer the younger generation?
Kobayashi: Bonsai can teach you many things about life. Everything I have learnt is from Bonsai! It has taught me about the importance of life and to respect nature and other people. You also need a lot of time and patience to do Bonsai, starting young is the best because you have a lot more time to do it and can grow your own Bonsai from the start, but only if you are very dedicated.
Liddell: What kinds of trees do you like to work with? Why?
Kobayashi: Black pine and plum trees. Black pines are very strong trees and I understand them, they are like strong men, majestic and powerful. My favourite tree is The plum tree because it represents the true heart of Bonsai. It embodies many of the ideas and concepts of Bonsai and Japanese culture. It has wabi-sabi. The trees have very interesting shapes, they are twisted and hollow, the bark is gnarled and rough. They are also very dark. When they flower, the brilliant white flowers make a beautiful contrast against the cruel shape of the tree. Even though this tree is old and twisted and to many people it might look ugly, it is still very beautiful, but the flowers will soon pass and fall off. This is important in Bonsai. It has character.
Liddell: What trees do you dislike?
Kobayashi: Needle Junipers. They are painful to wire, that's why I have apprentices! Each tree has it's own good points and bad points, it is up to the Bonsai artist to see these and have the talent and the vision to bring them out and make it look beautiful. Each artist is an individual and can understand some trees better than others, I understand black pines whereas another person understands maple trees. To be the best Bonsai artist in the world you must try and understand and work with every type of tree.
Liddell: What is the hardest thing to teach in Bonsai?
Kobayashi: Love. You either love Bonsai or don't. That cannot be taught. Artistic sense. You either have it or you haven't, a teacher can only help you to bring it out, he cannot teach it.
Liddell: You travel a lot to promote Bonsai in other countries. Could you tell us a little about how Bonsai is received overseas?
Kobayashi: They love it. At the moment there is a big bonsai boom in Europe. It is really taking off. There are some very good Bonsai artists in Europe at the moment and they love bonsai. They have good material and are making some very good trees. They are also very young and enthusiastic. This is good.
Liddell: What is the main difference between Japanese and foreign Bonsai styles?
Kobayashi: Each country has it's own style, because each country has it's own native trees. Most countries are still finding their own style. Non-Japanese bonsai has also been influenced by a few successful Japanese Bonsai artists who have become popular over there so that style is popular. It is changing as more and more people do it and do it for longer.
Liddell: What are the current trends in Bonsai?
Kobayashi: Maple trees are not popular because there are too many on the market, it is too easy to make them now.
Liddell: How do you see Bonsai developing in the future?
Kobayashi: International. It is becoming world Bonsai now. Taiwanese Bonsai is at a very high standard and some European Bonsai, particularly Italian Bonsai is close behind. In terms of technique, everybody is at the same level, buti n terms of understanding and the artistic side, Japan still has a longer history. Japanese Bonsai thinking hasn't changed much at all and is only very slowly opening up to the world. This has to change or Japan will lose to the rest of the world
Liddell: How important are the pots to you? How do you choose the right pot for the right plant?
Kobayashi: The pot is very important to the Bonsai. It is 50% of "Bonsai" in Kanji! Having the wrong pot can destroy the tree's beauty, it will take everything away [from] the tree. There must be a good balance and harmony between the pot. It must also help to create an image, for example a shallow pot for deciduous trees like maple, looks like a field. A tall deep strong pot for a cascade style tree looks like the side of a mountain, which is where the tree would be growing. The age of a pot is also very important. Young pots have no character, they are like clones, one of a hundred. Old pots might be chipped or discoloured by weathering or chemicals or just the type of clay used. These have character, they are not perfect but that is better. Perfect is boring. An old tree should go in an old pot, a young tree in a young pot. this way you have good balance and harmony between the tree and pot. Colour, age, shape and character. These are all important. I have lots and lots of pots to chose from because I love pots, this way I can always get the right pot.
Liddell: How did you first become attracted to doing Bonsai
Kobayashi: Life. Bonsai have a long life, longer than me and you. They have been alive in a small pot for hundreds of years and will be alive after I die. They also have their own personality, each tree is an individual with it's own characteristics and beauty. There are no two bonsai that are exactly alike. This makes it different from gardening.
Liddell: Many people think that Bonsai is cruel to trees because the tree is not allowed to grow freely. I have even heard it called 'foot binding' for trees. What do you say to such people?
Kobayashi: A person who does bonsai must love their trees more than anything. You have to look after it everyday, give it food and water, keep it healthy, but most importantly you must love it. How many trees out in nature receive such love and care? How many 1000 year old trees are there still alive and as healthy as the 1000 year old Bonsai? If you do Bonsai with love then the trees do not suffer any more than they do in nature. Nature itself is cruel, that is where Bonsai comes from, trees up in the mountains subjected to the cruelty of nature, strong winds, snow, rockfalls. Those trees are not allowed to grow freely but they still grow. They battle against nature and sometimes they win to become beautiful trees, sometimes they die. That is natural.
Liddell: Bonsai is often seen as an old man's hobby. Does it have something to offer the younger generation?
Kobayashi: Bonsai can teach you many things about life. Everything I have learnt is from Bonsai! It has taught me about the importance of life and to respect nature and other people. You also need a lot of time and patience to do Bonsai, starting young is the best because you have a lot more time to do it and can grow your own Bonsai from the start, but only if you are very dedicated.
Liddell: What kinds of trees do you like to work with? Why?
Kobayashi: Black pine and plum trees. Black pines are very strong trees and I understand them, they are like strong men, majestic and powerful. My favourite tree is The plum tree because it represents the true heart of Bonsai. It embodies many of the ideas and concepts of Bonsai and Japanese culture. It has wabi-sabi. The trees have very interesting shapes, they are twisted and hollow, the bark is gnarled and rough. They are also very dark. When they flower, the brilliant white flowers make a beautiful contrast against the cruel shape of the tree. Even though this tree is old and twisted and to many people it might look ugly, it is still very beautiful, but the flowers will soon pass and fall off. This is important in Bonsai. It has character.
Liddell: What trees do you dislike?
Kobayashi: Needle Junipers. They are painful to wire, that's why I have apprentices! Each tree has it's own good points and bad points, it is up to the Bonsai artist to see these and have the talent and the vision to bring them out and make it look beautiful. Each artist is an individual and can understand some trees better than others, I understand black pines whereas another person understands maple trees. To be the best Bonsai artist in the world you must try and understand and work with every type of tree.
Liddell: What is the hardest thing to teach in Bonsai?
Kobayashi: Love. You either love Bonsai or don't. That cannot be taught. Artistic sense. You either have it or you haven't, a teacher can only help you to bring it out, he cannot teach it.
Liddell: You travel a lot to promote Bonsai in other countries. Could you tell us a little about how Bonsai is received overseas?
Kobayashi: They love it. At the moment there is a big bonsai boom in Europe. It is really taking off. There are some very good Bonsai artists in Europe at the moment and they love bonsai. They have good material and are making some very good trees. They are also very young and enthusiastic. This is good.
Liddell: What is the main difference between Japanese and foreign Bonsai styles?
Kobayashi: Each country has it's own style, because each country has it's own native trees. Most countries are still finding their own style. Non-Japanese bonsai has also been influenced by a few successful Japanese Bonsai artists who have become popular over there so that style is popular. It is changing as more and more people do it and do it for longer.
Liddell: What are the current trends in Bonsai?
Kobayashi: Maple trees are not popular because there are too many on the market, it is too easy to make them now.
Liddell: How do you see Bonsai developing in the future?
Kobayashi: International. It is becoming world Bonsai now. Taiwanese Bonsai is at a very high standard and some European Bonsai, particularly Italian Bonsai is close behind. In terms of technique, everybody is at the same level, buti n terms of understanding and the artistic side, Japan still has a longer history. Japanese Bonsai thinking hasn't changed much at all and is only very slowly opening up to the world. This has to change or Japan will lose to the rest of the world
Liddell: How important are the pots to you? How do you choose the right pot for the right plant?
Kobayashi: The pot is very important to the Bonsai. It is 50% of "Bonsai" in Kanji! Having the wrong pot can destroy the tree's beauty, it will take everything away [from] the tree. There must be a good balance and harmony between the pot. It must also help to create an image, for example a shallow pot for deciduous trees like maple, looks like a field. A tall deep strong pot for a cascade style tree looks like the side of a mountain, which is where the tree would be growing. The age of a pot is also very important. Young pots have no character, they are like clones, one of a hundred. Old pots might be chipped or discoloured by weathering or chemicals or just the type of clay used. These have character, they are not perfect but that is better. Perfect is boring. An old tree should go in an old pot, a young tree in a young pot. this way you have good balance and harmony between the tree and pot. Colour, age, shape and character. These are all important. I have lots and lots of pots to chose from because I love pots, this way I can always get the right pot.
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