Bonsai Tour & Experience at the Most Sacred City for Bonsai in JP
Description
1. There is no better place in the world to engage in bonsai-related activities than in this Bonsai-cho, literary translated as "Bonsai City". 2. The guide for this program is Japanese farmer, but unusually for Japanese artisans, he is fluent in English and provide detailed explanations in the bonsai garden and bonsai museum. 3. The location for the bonsai care experience will be moved to a lovely cafe in Bonsai Town. This means that you can work on the program while relaxing and having a cup of coffee, regardless of the weather.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 1. Participants in this program must be at least 13 years old
- 2.Those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult
- 3.Those who are unwell or under the influence of alcohol will not be permitted to participate (and no refunds)
- 4. Those who wish to enter the shop without participating in the class are also required to pay an additional fee, which must be indicated at the time of request (those who have not paid will not be admitted to the venue)
Reviews(12)
My mom and I had a wonderful time with Jun. He was very informative about the area and obviously, bonsai knowledge. He took the time to answer a lot of my mother's questions about bonsai and Japan in general. The entire experience was great. Would honestly tell friends about it and would do it again to learn more :)
We had an excellent and in-depth tour and experience with Jun, who has been studying Bonsai for 10 years. He was super knowledgeable and friendly and answered 1,000 questions. We loved the hands on lesson at the beautiful Toroto café, and enjoyed exploring the Toro neighborhood. Highly, highly recommend for this interested in bonsai!
This tour was a great experience getting to see all these little masterpieces. Jun promptly met me at the train station and gave a brief history on the walk to the nursery. It ended up just being me on the tour that day, which was nice having a one-on-one. Once there, he discussed the proper way to appreciate a bonsai and he answered all of my questions as we looked at all the different varieties of trees. You can tell he truly enjoys working with bonsai and was very knowledgeable. From there, we moved on to the bonsai museum which had some truly impressive trees. We talked about the different shapes and ages of the bonsai there and even the maintenance of them. After that, we moved on to the workshop portion. This was held at a cute cafe where he already had multiple younger trees set up to work on. We practiced wiring/removing and how to pick the correct branches/buds to remove. I recently got a new bonsai and this workshop has made me more confident in caring for it. If you’re looking for some pointers or even just interested in this amazing art form, I would highly recommend this tour. Definitely worth the train ride from Tokyo.
I booked this experience several weeks in advance for April 1, 2025 for myself and my partner. When we arrived at Toro Station (near Omiya Bonsai Villa), after 1 h and 30 min by train from Tokyo, there was no one waiting for us. In fact, no one ever arrived to meet us and after exchanging messages with Viator, we concluded that, despite having received confirmation of the experience, we could not experience it and had to return to Tokyo. They literally forgot about us, on a day when it was raining and difficult to make other plans in Omiya. Eventually, we got our money back, but the vacation day was almost lost. If you value your time in Japan, do not book this experience with such an unserious Enterprise working.
wonderful curator. He's very knowledgeable & thoroughly explained from history of bonsai to handle wire cutting, trimming. It's such an art and science and patience that go into taking care of 1 bonsai
Thank you so much Jun-san 😊 This experience was very high value for the cost and I highly recommend anyone considering it to go for it. We were met by Jun-san in the station, he walked with us to the Bonsai sanctuary where he has worked for 10 years. We had a private tour where he shared all of his knowledge and answered all of our questions gladly. Afterwards we went to the Bonsai museum which was stunning, and the information we learnt there confirmed what we had already taught us. Following this we had a beautiful time learning how to take care of and develop Bonsai in a beautiful cafe. The education was guided with clear instructions, patience and pictures from a lovely japanese Bonsai book. Afterwards we enjoyed a lunch with Jun-san in the cafe and exchanged language and culture. We really enjoyed our time and appreciate the care and attention given to us, we felt the Bonsai. We also received great pictures afterwards for our memories. 😊
I can only recommend this course, for all those who like Bonsai and do not dare to try it themselves. I thank Jun for the tips and the time to show us everything that was possible in this short time and explain. I would book this course again at any time. Thanks, Jun.
We had our work christmas party here for the second year as Grace and George were so amazing!!! Thanks Blame Gloria xoxoxo
5 Star experience with Mr. Jun-san. From the visit at two Bonsai gardens to the hands-on experience with Jun, it was a fun educational experience well worth the time. Also, if you wish to stay at the cafe after the hands-on experience, it is an inexpensive with good food. Thank you Jun-san.
We had a great Bonsai experience in Saitama with Jun-san. Jun met us at the train station and walked us to a fantastic bonsai nursery. After the nursery visit, we went to a neighborhood coffee shop and had our hands on experience. Jun showed and explained to us how to prune and shape the bonsai trees. Such a great experience.