FEATURED BOOK REVIEW

Expo 2025 Japan Bonsai and Suiseki Exhibition. 159 pages. No ISBN.

The first true World’s Fair or Expos was held in London in 1851 to allow nations to showcase their achievements in technology, science, and culture. The first bonsai to be exhibited in a World’s Fair was probably in the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876, in the Japanese pavilion and garden. Two years later, a grand exhibition of bonsai was staged as part of Japan’s Pavilion in the Paris International Exposition in 1878. Seven bonsai were displayed, including four exposed-root style bonsai using the process known then as “nanisation.” The promotion of Japanese-style bonsai has continued from these years to the present, 150 years later. Today, bonsai is a well-established art form worldwide. 

Last year, Japan had a special exhibition of bonsai and suiseki at the Expo 2025 in the Osaka Kansai area. Some of the famous bonsai displayed at the Osaka Expo 1970 were again exhibited 35 years later at the Expo 2025 in Osaka. Including a black-and-white photograph of these 1970 bonsai next to a photograph of the same tree is fascinating, showing how each tree has developed over time. 

While primarily a book featuring many fine aged bonsai, this volume also includes quality photographs of suiseki, many of which were attributed to earlier stone collectors. This book serves as a valuable catalog of the refined bonsai, exquisite suiseki, and older pots displayed at the 2025 Osaka Expo.

Based on the introductory pages and the many advertisements in the latter part of the book, it seems that this was designed as a souvenir and promotional publication for the Expo.