Japanese Bonsai Terms

From BonsaiWIKI

The following terms have been adopted from Japanese to describe features, techniques, bonsai styles and bonsai sizes.

Contents

A

AKADAMA - a red clay, Japanese bonsai soil AKA=red DAMA=ball
ARAKAWA - rough bark

B

BANKAN - coiled snake style bonsai
BONKEI tray landscape containing rocks, plants and trees and MUDMEN
BUNJIN literati style

C

CHOKKAN formal upright style
CHUHIN bonsai midsize bonsai, 30-60 cm tall

D

DAI-BONSAI bonsai over 60 cm tall

E

EDA branches

F

FUKINAGASHI windswept style

G

GAFU-BONSAI bonsai under 25 cm in height (quality bonsai)
GAFU-TEN
GISEISHI - sacrifice branch

H

HAGARI pinching
HAMIZU misting of branches
HAN KENGAI semi-cascade style
HARIGANE wiring a tree with bonsai wire
HOKIDACHI broom style
HYUGA pumice

I

IKADABUKI Raft style
ISHISEKI root-over-rock style bonsai planted on a stone

J

JIN deadwood branches

K

KABUDACHI clump style
KANJU deciduous trees
KANUMA kanuma a yellow, volcanic soil from Japan favored for SATSUKI azaleas
KANSUI watering
KARUSU callus or cicatrisation of wounds
KATAMARU lignification (hardening off)
KATAEDA one-sided branching
KATANE one-sided root system
KEISEISO - cambium
KENGAI cascade style
KETOTSHUCHI peat moss
KIKIEDA character branch one of the branches that defines the focal point of the bonsai
KIFU-BONSAI bonsai between 20-40 cm tall
KOKUFU-TEN
KUSAMONO Accent plantings or companion plantings

M

MAME-BONSAI bonsai under 7cm tall
ME buds
METSUMI pinching out buds
MIMONO fruiting bonsai
MINI-BONSAI bonsai 7-10 cm tall
MISHO - bonsai grown from seed
MIZUGOE - Inorganic fertilizer dissolved in water
MIZUSUI - waterline or lifeline - living portion of the trunk as on a Juniper
MOYOGI informal upright style

N

NEAGARI exposed root style
NEBARI trunkbase surface roots
NEBUSE pruning the roots
NETSURANARI raft style sinuous, root-connected

O

OMONO-BONSAI Large bonsai, 60-90 cm tall

P

PENJING landscape planting

S

SABAMIKI hollow trunk style
SAIKEI landscape planting with stones and trees but no mudmen
SAKUFU-TEN
SANKAN triple-trunk style bonsai
SASHIKI - bonsai grown from cuttings
SASHIEDA - long branch which defines the directional movement
SEKJOJU root-over-rock style
SENSEI Teacher, professor, master
SHAKAN slant style
SHARI deadwood on the trunk
SHARIMIKI driftwood style
SHIDARE-ZUKURI weeping style
SHOHIN bonsai under 25 cm tall
SHOTSUCHI sand
SOKAN twin-trunk style
SUIBAN shallow water tray for suiseki display lacking drainage holes
SUISEKI viewing stone

T

TACHIAGARI
TAIKAN-TEN
TAMAHI - ball-shaped cakes of Organic fertilizer
TANUKI Phoenix graft
TOKONOMA - alcove, the traditional Japanese Formal Display space
TORIKI - bonsai created by layering or dividing
TSUCHI - bonsai soil
TSUGIKI - grafted bonsai

Y

YAMADORI Bonsai collected from the mountains
YOSE-UE Forest or Grove planting

Z

ZOUKI Broadleaf, Deciduous tree