A bonsai lesson

盆栽の稽古ぼんさいのけいこ

Craft · Quiet · Learning

Two hours with a bonsai master: choosing a young tree, wiring a branch, the first pruning, the pot. You take the tree home if you can carry a plant through customs (most cannot), or the studio keeps it and sends photographs; either way you understand why the old ones cost what they do. Studios in Ueno and on the city's west edge teach in English.

How to arrange it: Book a week ahead; ask about the studio's keeping and shipping options before you start.
Price band: ¥¥¥
Allow: 120 min
Where: Ueno & Yanaka

Where to book it

Nihonbashi

Deeper Japan — private bonsai class

ディーパー・ジャパン盆栽プライベートクラス

¥¥¥¥ · 100 min · English: yes

Held at a Chuo-ward branch of a historic Omiya Bonsai Village nursery, so you get instruction from an actual bonsai master on pruning, wiring and shaping without a day trip to Saitama. Guests choose their own tree and pot and take real tools home.

Named operators, each verified against its official site. We list the booking route and whether English is spoken; hours and prices live on the official site. All operators