Bonsai is seen as a very calm contemplative activity by most. It soothes the soul. It steadies the shaky nervous energy out of us as we can sit with our favourite bonsai, nurture it, guide it, tend to it as it needs.
The moss is green. The water cool and clear. The tendrils of life edge forth through the surfaces, stretching, and aching upwards, outwards, as they seek the sun. It’s beautiful. But not everyone knows about bonsai, or how to care for them, or how to make them unique, interactive, and a part of not just the hands that garden them, but the world around.
Meet Masashi Hirao. A new, young, well-groomed master of bonsai.
In the 2016 Setouchi International Art Festival, Hirao-Sensei came to Kagawa to show the world bonsai as he was taught by his own master, how to reach out with it to others, how to spread out the love of bonsai to the world.
I found his work to be absolutely mesmerizing. You must watch these next videos. He makes the bonsai come to life, and to even … float.
In this next video, Master Hirao meets the rowdy Seppuku Pistols. They are loud. They are noisy. They are making a stir. They are playing traditional instruments and acting like pirates. And they meet. In the street. With nothing more than gongs, drums, sea conches, and pruning tools to settle the score.
Hirao-Sensei is dedicated to making bonsai popular and cool. He is doing a pretty good job of doing just that. He even wrote a book about it, holds meetings and conferences all over the world, and does live performances all over the place. To say that he is impressive is an understatement to say the least.
Here is the Amazon link to his book: https://www.amazon.com/Tsukuru-sodateru-tanoshimu-bonsai-nyuÌ/dp/4774780065/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539868648&sr=1-1&keywords=masashi+hirao&dpID=61QL0zniHXL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch
