I meet you in Japan
You organise your own trip. I join you there for a few days of visits.
You already travel on your own.
Bonsai professional · Ten years in Japan
Step inside the Japan of bonsai.
I didn't go as a visitor. I worked there for ten years. Today I open those doors to people who want to see bonsai from the inside.
What I bring you
I open the doors
Nurseries and private gardens that do not open to visitors. Ten years of building those relationships.
I translate
The language, but also the way things are done. I explain what you are looking at.
I advise you
Which tree is worth the asking price. And which one is not.
You probably know my voice
Adrien Pichon
Monsieur Bonsaï is a YouTube channel. That was already me, back in 2015, filming from Tokyo.
I lived in Japan from 2014 to 2025. First as an enthusiast, then as a partner in a professional garden: watering, auctions, exhibitions, export. In 2025, I came home to France.
Today I'm the link between the two: I open the doors it took me ten years to open.
My storyThree ways to come
From the simplest to the most complete. Pick the one that fits you.
Most popular
Small group departure
A small group, fixed dates. Some departures are built around a major exhibition, such as Kokufu-ten or Taikan-ten.
You want company along the way.
Private journey
A trip built for you alone, on your dates, around what you are looking for.
You want it tailored.
The bonsai year in Japan
Bonsai in Japan follows a rhythm, and that rhythm comes round every year. There is always a good reason to go. You just pick which one.
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January
Gafu-ten Kyoto
The major shohin exhibition, the one for small trees. A different scale, and a different kind of refinement.
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February
Kokufu-ten Tokyo
Japan's most prestigious show. The very best, gathered once a year at Ueno. Right beside it runs the Green Club, the biggest sale of trees and pots of the year.
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May and June
Satsuki in flower Kanuma
A few weeks a year, no more. If you love satsuki, this is the only window that counts.
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November
Taikan-ten Kyoto
The second great exhibition of the year. Professionals and amateurs show side by side.
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November to March
Shipping season All of Japan
Trees leave for Europe in winter, while dormant: deciduous trees without their leaves, and junipers can only enter between November and March. If you are thinking of bringing a tree home, this is when it is decided.
And the rest of the year, the gardens and nurseries are still there. An exhibition is a fine reason to go, but it is never a requirement.
And if you find a tree
Many people fall in love with a tree in Japan and leave without it. Taking a bonsai out of Japan takes paperwork, quarantine and time. That is a job in itself, and it is ours.
You are never expected to buy. The journey is worth it even empty-handed.
How it worksWhat people ask me
Do I need to be an expert?
No. I travel with keen beginners just as happily as with collectors.
Why not just go on my own?
You will see the public gardens. The others will stay closed, and it is hard to understand what you are looking at without someone to explain it.
What does it cost?
It depends on the format, the length and the number of people. Write to me and I will come back with a clear price.
Let's plan your trip
A thirty-minute call, no commitment. You tell me what appeals to you, I tell you what is possible.
Not the right moment yet?
Leave your email. I will let you know when I announce a new departure.
A few emails a year. Nothing else.