Bosai Styles

In the bonsai world, trees are trained and pruned to mimic the shapes found in full-size natural trees. Since bonsai are always designed to be viewed from a “front”, these shapes are not strictly naturalistic; they symbolize natural forms rather than precisely duplicating them.

Hokidachi – Broom Style

The broom style represents the elegant, rounded shape of a deciduous tree that is allowed to grow without competition; the trunk is straight and tapered, and the branches fan out and branch finely to produce a gently rounded crown.

Chokkan – Formal vertical style

The formal vertical style symbolizes the growth of a conifer. Like hokidachi, the truck is straight, but instead of unfolding, the branches grow sideways in an alternating pattern. The tree tapers to a point at the top.

Moyogi – Casual upright style

The informal vertical style is similar to the formal vertical style, but the trunk of the tree is sloped at the base and bends at each branch point, creating an overall vertical presentation with a trunk that curves.

Shakkan – Slant Style

When a tree grows partially in the shade or under the influence of a strong and constant wind, the trunk can grow tilted. The shakkan style mimics this type of tree; the trunk leans at a defined angle, supported by a strong system of roots and branches that counteract it.

Kengai and Han-Kengai: Cascading and Semi-Cascading Styles

The cascade styles of bonsai depict a tree that grows next to a cliff or the river bank. Sometimes, in nature, the trees bend in a waterfall from the weight of the snow. These bonsai hang below the rim of the pot; Full cascading bonsai hangs so deep that the tip falls below the bottom of the pot.

Bujingi – Literary Style

This style is named after the scholars and artists who favor this style. The bonsai is stretched and gnarled, representing a tree that has to fight for sunlight and survival. Bujingi bonsai are often adorned with debarked areas of dead wood called Jin and shari, to show the damage the tree has suffered in its life.

Fukinagashi – Windswept Style

Another type of bonsai folded by the wind is the fukinagashi. In this style, the branches grow from all sides of the tree, but they are all bent in one direction as if pushed by a strong wind. This is another style that represents the tree’s struggle to survive.