Recently, Australian Bonsai has been lucky to have Yusuke Uchida (Uchi) visit our shores. Uchi has worked as a bonsai apprentice in Japan, most recently at Aichi-en in Nagoya (the current home of Peter Tea), and has come to Australia to share his knowledge.

After spending some time in Melbourne, Uchi made his way to Canberra to stay with me. Uchi favourite tree is JBP, so the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Australia’s (NBPCA) interim curator Grant provided this 1974 JBP for styling. The tree was grown for seed in 1974 and has been in bonsai culture ever since. The past few years have seen the tree regaining it’s former strength so it could be restyled in the future by an international visitor.

1 Yusuke Selected front

2 Yusuke Selected left

3 Yusuke Selected back

4 Yusuke examining prior to wiring

5 Yusuke Careful work

6 Yusuke Low branch wired

7 Yusuke next branch

8 Yusuke Hmmm...wired and in place

9 Yusuke The branch that caused a rethink

10 Yusuke apex bent around in semi circle

11 Yusuke New apex has a branch at back that is brought down,

12 Yusuke sideview of branch

13 Yusuke 1st branch bent down

14 Yusuke wired and in place

15 Yusuke apex being fine wired

16 Yusuke apex almost finished

17 Yusuke finished

18 Yusuke pleased

Thanks to Grant at the NBPCA for the use of the images.

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