Morikami Museum Schedules Advanced Bonsai Studio Sessions March 22, 29

Two full-day advanced studio sessions titled The Art of Bonsai will meet at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens on Sundays March 22 and March 29, with each day running 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., break, and 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The sessions are priced at $200, with a Morikami member rate of $190, and advance registration is required.

The museum’s event listings mark these as intensive, participant-driven studio days: “This is an advanced course for bonsai students with prior experience and must have instructor approval for registering.” The listings also specify a clear equipment expectation: “Prerequisite – Participants need to have their own plant, materials, tools and supplies.” No instructor names or a register-by deadline are provided in the published schedule.

The program copy includes the exhibition-style framing used across Morikami’s bonsai offerings: “Bonsai means 'a tree in a tray.' The art of bonsai creates the illusion of age and maturity of a tree which has developed and sustained the effects of nature for many years.” That language appears alongside the logistics to emphasize that these studio sessions aim to refine styling and maintenance on each student’s own specimen over concentrated morning and afternoon practice periods.

The March calendar pairs the bonsai intensives with several cultural programs. Nihongo: Introduction to Japanese runs Sundays March 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, with Level IV at 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Level III at 6:10 p.m. to 7:10 p.m., and Level I at 7:20 p.m. to 8:20 p.m., at a cost of $120 (Morikami members $110). A focused Japanese Poetry Workshop, described as haiku instruction, is scheduled Saturday March 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for $35; the listing invites participants to join poet Yaddyra Peralta and states, “In this workshop, participants will learn about haiku building with an overview of the classic masters of haiku, as well as a look into how haiku has evolved to present times. Join poet Yaddyra Peralta in this hands-on workshop and learn to write your own original haiku using Morikami's own Japanese gardens as your inspiration.”

Performance programming closes the month: a Butoh Dance Performance is set for Friday March 27 at 7:00 p.m., priced $20 with a $15 member rate, presented as an evening with Butoh performer Pinar Sinka. Program copy explains, “Butoh, a type of Japanese dance theater came on the scene in 1959 and over the decades has grown beyond Japan and onto the international scene. Join us for an evening of this unique Avant-garde dance performed by Butoh performer Pinar Sinka.”

Additional garden context in the March listings highlights the Late Rock Garden, noting that “boulder arrangements may be interpreted as islands. Learn about our Late Rock Garden and observe how the raking can be a practice in mindfulness and meditation.” Advance registration is required for the bonsai sessions and other listed programs; the published event excerpts do not include a registration link, phone number, instructor roster for the bonsai courses, or a stated maximum class size. The Art of Bonsai sessions remain scheduled as single-day advanced intensives on March 22 and March 29 with the stated $200 fee and $190 member rate.