The Azuma pines

Daiki, the third-generation Abe, works on seed-grown pines

- Kinbon

The location of the photoshoot today is the long-established bonsai garden in Fukushima belonging to the Abe family, now into their third generation of bonsai growing. The first generation, Kurakichi Abe and his son Kenichi Abe have grown many Azuma white pine bonsai from the seeds of trees local to their area in Fukushima. This is now being continued by the third generation, Daiki Abe.

At the age of 28 in Showa 10 (1935), Kurakichi Abe started to study with Saita Kinsaku, first generation of Houjyu-en in Sugamo ward, Tokyo. He was so enchanted by the Azuma white pines that grew around his home town in Fukushima that he developed the idea of' Kukan Yubi', the beauty of space.

In his native dialect, he explained that the succinct phrase had a deeper meaning. 'Each tree has its own natural growth habit and character that's often destroyed when we create bonsai, making them look awkward and unnatural. The concept of 'Kukan Yubi' is to search for and bring out the natural character of each tree, to understand its natural growth habit and to skilfully use that to create a bonsai that looks more natural than nature itself.' As soon as he returned home he started to grow his own white pine material from seeds, a momentous achievement. The material has been styled into every style of tree growing in the mountains around Fukushima by the three generations of the family Abe.