Masahiko Kimura also known as “The Magician” was born on March 31, 1940, in Ōmiya-ku City, Saitama, Japan. His father died when Kimura was 11, Kimura wanted to be a musician, but at age 15, as per his mother’s wish, he started an apprenticeship at Toju-en Bonsai Garden, under master Motosuke Hamano, who was a renowned bonsai artist in Japan. His apprenticeship lasted eleven years.
Kimura specializes in conifers; his trees are known for their complex deadwood features. Due to Kimura’s s willingness to break the conventional style, many bonsai masters in Japan refused to take him seriously. But now in the bonsai world, he has become known as the “Magical Technician of Kindai Shuppan”. In present times, nobody questions Kimura’s innovative works in the Bonsai industry.
Masahiko Kimura quickly became a master of bonsai and began winning awards at bonsai exhibitions at a young age. In 1973, he won his first major prize at the prestigious Kokufu-ten exhibition in Tokyo. Master Kimura has done many demonstrations and presentations around the world, and his work has appeared in many bonsai publications. He won the Prime Minister’s Award for the years 1988, 1995, 2000, and 2001, and the Minister of Education Award in 1999. He went on to win many more awards and became one of the most respected and well-known bonsai masters in the world.
His remarkable apprentices include Marco Invernizzi, Salvatore Liporace, Ernie Kuo, Marc Noelanders, Kawabe Takeo, and Ryan Neil.
In addition to his bonsai work, Kimura also wrote books on bonsai named ” The Magician: Bonsai Art of Kimura” and “The Magician: Bonsai Art of Kimura 2“, published by Stone Lantern.
The hardcover edition of The Magician: Bonsai Art of Kimura book is available at Amazon:
You have a chance to take an online course by Mr. Kimura: Kimura’s Bonsai Masterclass managed by Bonsai Empire.
Master Kimura is a living legend, with his innovative and beautiful bonsai specimens that continue to inspire bonsai enthusiasts around the world.
