The art of Bonsai, together with the Japanese flower arrangement, Ikebana, has been originated in Japan and are now being admired throughout the world. Among the lovers and admirers of Bonsai, there are many who find an infinite pleasure in growing Bonsai - a satisfaction of creating by their own hands the beauty of nature in miniature.

Bonsai has as its prime object the reproduction of the dignified beauty of an aged tree that has survived centuries of exposure to the rigors and relentless forces of nature and its environs. By reproduction is meant also that a tree must be beautiful to look at - in the formation of its branches, in the appearance of its branches, in the appearance of its trunk and bark, the development of the roots and the way in which the trunk grows from the roots. It is the perspective of these various features that manifest the power and vitality of nature as well as the illusion of natural landscape.

It was the Chinese who first created the miniature landscapes and trees that we now know as bonsai. Called penjing by the Chinese, bonsai was believed to have had its start in the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.) that an emperor created a landscape in his courtyard complete with hills, valleys, rivers, lakes and trees that represented his entire empire.

Buddhist monks brought bonsai to the island. For many years the art was practiced only by the wealthy. It was with the Chinese invasion of Japan in the 14th century that the art of bonsai started to be practiced by people of all classes. Thus, bonsai began to grow in popularity in Japan and outside the country.

Today, bonsai are sold in department stores, garden centers, nurseries, and many other places. Most trees purchased today are known as pre-bonsai and are for the most part only used as a starting point. To create a true bonsai work of art you need to learn as much as possible about the art and the trees you use.