Sakka Ten 2018: Master Minoru Akiyama

In this edition of Sakka Ten, the Japanese association will send master Minoru Akiyama, who is going to realise different activities inside the Congress. Among these activities there are some which are only for registered people, as for example workshops, and others that are open to all publics as demonstrations and lectures. There is also an activity which is exclusive for members of NBSKE previously registered, it's a masterclass where we will work on how to display trees in a tokonoma and which is always done by the Japanese master which represents Japanese NBSK in the Congress.

Akiyama's demonstration during the 30th anniversary of  Associazione Euganea del Bonsai  (ITALY)

Minoru Akiyama waas born in April 1979 and belongs to the second generation of Akiyama Bonsai-en, located in Nirasaki, Yamanashi. After graduating in Nirasaki, Minoru Akiyama completed a period of learner in Sunkaen Bonsai Museum in Tokio before starting his own career. There, he learnt from master Kunio Kobayashi with whom he improved the Bonsai techniques which he had learnt in his family's garden.

In 2008, when he was only 29 years old, he became the youngest person to receive Prime Minister's award in 34th Sakkafu-ten, the biggest award for bonsai professionals. The same year, he was also awarded the prize Taisho in the 20th Kojuten exhibition, the biggest prize in Satsuki bonsai's world. During all his professional career he has also received many other awards.

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Every year he has exhibited his trees as a professional in different bonsai events and has been awarded in different categories, because he has worked with coniferous, deciduous, satsuki and shohin trees. He has created a big number of unique pieces.

Akiyama hasn't only worked in Japan. He has also travelled to Europe and America, where he has done demonstrations and workshops willing to share his knowledge and his passion for bonsai.