Japanese Bonsai Tree Exhibits at University of Home Economics

Bonsai Society (LBS) arranged an exhibition of the Japanese Art of Bonsai Trees at the University of Home Economics, Lahore. Head Culture and Public Information Section Embassy of Japan Ryuji Iwasaki participated as chief guest whereas Honorary Consul General of Japan Aamir H. Sherazi, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Kanwal Ameen, President LBS Mian Umair Iftikhar, UHE Syndics Dr. Abdul Hameed Sheikh, Dr. Ghazala Irfan and Dr. Misbah Jabeen were attendants. Bonsai is a Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese term Penzai and has become an umbrella term in English for plants kept in shallow pots and pruned to stay diminutive in size, artful replicas of full-grown trees, said Ryuji Iwasaki during his address. Iwasaki said Japan and Pakistan has close relations for decades now and it is important to explore how the two countries can utilize each other’s strengths for mutual benefits. Prof. Kanwal Ameen stated that the Japanese education system is the envy of many developed countries from early childhood education to the doctoral and post-doctoral levels. She also discussed the 100 years old history of the Bonsai Tree. “At their largest, bonsai trees top out at no more than four feet, eight inches tall. It has to be in a pot,” Mian Umair Iftikhar said. “The pot can be the size of a small golf cart as long as it’s a pot.” He also stated that LBS hosts regular workshops demonstrating the art of pruning and cutting a Bonsai Tree.