On May 30, 2023, the BPAFFC welcomed the visit of a delegation of Shunkaen Bonsai Museum, led by its curator Yasufumi Jin. The two sides discussed matters regarding cooperation.
In the meeting, Wu Bing, Vice President of the BPAFFC, gave a warm welcome to the guests, saying that China and Japan share a long tradition of friendship, and calling for Chinese and Japanese youngsters to pass on to the baton of bilateral friendship. Bonsai culture is a symbol of cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Japan. As Beijing and Tokyo will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of their sister-city relationship in 2024, the BPAFFC hopes to carry out cultural exchanges with various organizations and friends in Japan, including the Shunkaen Bonsai Museum, to make fresh contributions to advancing the China-Japan friendship in the new era, he added.
Yasufumi Jin conveyed the greetings of Kunio Kobayashi, the owner of Shunkaen Bonsai Garden and a prestigious Japanese bonsai artist. He noted that bonsai art began in the Tang dynasty and was introduced to Japan in the Heian period of Japan, and over time, has developed distinct characteristics in each country. Communications on bonsai art will help recall the memory of traditional culture shared by Japanese and Chinese people. He hoped to jointly organize with the BPAFFC exchange activities to inject new vitality into the bonsai art, a shared traditional culture of the two countries, and encourage Japanese and Chinese peoples, especially the young generation, to strengthen their friendship and move toward the future through cultural exchanges.
