BONSAI

The Chinese began creating miniature landscapes over 2,000 years ago. The closer the miniature was to the scale of the original, the more magically powerful it seemed to be. A student could focus on his magical properties and access them. During the Kamakura period (700 years ago), the Japanese copied this art form, from which time a distinct Japanese style came to light. Instead of complete landscapes, the Japanese began to focus on individual plants. The word "Bon-sai" is a Japanese term which, literally translated, means "planted in a pot".