Guide to Mame and Shohin Size Bonsai Trees and Their History
Mame and Shohin are terms used to classify the smallest categories of bonsai. These miniature trees represent a fascinating and challenging area of the art form, demanding precise skills in propagation, cultivation, and aesthetics due to their small scale and highly vulnerable root systems. The cultivation of these miniature forms is deeply rooted in Japanese artistic traditions that favor subtlety and compact beauty.
Historical Context and Definitions
The history of small bonsai is interwoven with the broader evolution of the art in Japan, emphasising refinement and compactness.
- Origins: While the art of growing miniature trees (initially called penjing) originated in China, the Japanese refined the aesthetic, focusing on a single tree in a pot and developing specific size classifications. The true popularity of miniature bonsai began to accelerate in the Edo period (1603–1868), where they were highly valued as portable, easily displayable art pieces.
- Aesthetic Shift: Unlike the larger, more dramatic penjing, Japanese bonsai emphasizes the concept of Wabi-Sabi (finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence) and Yūgen (a profound, mysterious sense of beauty). This aesthetic is intensely applied to Mame and Shohin, where the small scale forces the viewer to contemplate vastness within miniature form.
- Modern Recognition: The specific classification of Shohin gained prominence in the Shōwa period (1926–1989). The Japan Shohin-Bonsai Association was founded in the 1960s, establishing the formal size criteria and creating specific exhibitions, notably the annual Gafu-ten (Elegant Display Exhibition), which is dedicated solely to these small trees.
Category
Japanese Term, Approximate Height Range, Historical Context & Focus
Mame
豆 (Mame, meaning 'bean')
Up to 10 cm (4 inches)
Represents the ultimate challenge in small-scale creation; popularised by enthusiasts striving for the absolute miniature.
Shohin
小品 (Shohin, meaning 'small thing')
10 cm to 20 cm (4 to 8 inches)
The most popular small category; its refinement led to dedicated associations and annual Koten (exhibitions).
Shito
始到 (Shito)
Up to 5 cm (2 inches)
Sub-category of Mame, rarely exhibited due to fragility, focusing on true minimal scale.
Cultivation Challenges and Solutions
Cultivating these small trees presents unique challenges, stemming from their minimal root space—a challenge embraced by Japanese masters as a test of skill.
1. The Water Crisis (The Main Challenge)
The shallow pots dry out rapidly, threatening the tree's survival. This necessity for constant vigilance aligns with the dedication required in many traditional Japanese arts.
- Solution: Watering Frequency: Requires checking and watering multiple times a day (2 to 5 times in summer). This routine reflects the detailed, daily commitment expected of a bonsai artist.
- Solution: High-Quality Soil: Use a slightly finer grade of mineral-based bonsai soil (e.g., small-grain Akadama, Pumice, Lava Rock) to ensure adequate moisture retention without sacrificing drainage.
- Solution: Humidity Management: Placing the pots on a shallow humidity tray filled with gravel and water raises the local humidity, reducing the rapid evaporation from the small soil volume.
2. The Nutrient Crisis
Frequent watering, necessary for survival, quickly leaches essential nutrients from the tiny pots.
- Solution: Consistent Feeding: Mame and Shohin trees need a continuous, gentle nutrient supply. Use a combination of:
- Tiny Organic Cakes/Pellets: Placed on the soil surface, providing a slow, organic feed.
- Weak Liquid Feed: Apply a balanced liquid fertiliser diluted to 1/2 to 1/4 strength every week with the regular watering cycle.
3. Temperature Vulnerability
The lack of soil mass offers minimal protection from extreme temperature swings, requiring sheltered placement.
- Summer Heat: Place Mame and Shohin pots on the humidity tray in a slightly sheltered location (e.g., under a bench or larger trees) during the hottest part of the afternoon to prevent root scorching.
- Winter Cold: Even hardy species need strong protection. Place them in a cold frame, unheated garage, or bury the entire pot in bark mulch, ensuring stable temperatures above the critical root-freezing point.
Aesthetics and Refinement
The aesthetic criteria for Shohin and Mame are the same as those for larger bonsai, but the scale demands extreme precision in every detail.
1. Leaf and Needle Reduction
Achieving proportional leaf size is perhaps the greatest difficulty in miniature bonsai, essential to conveying the illusion of an old, large tree.
- Species Selection: Naturally small-leaved species are preferred (e.g., Japanese Maples, Trident Maples, Dwarf Juniper, Elm, Boxwood).
- Techniques: Reliance on techniques that reduce leaf size:
- Defoliation: Partial or full defoliation (for deciduous species) in summer.
- Frequent Pruning: The constant pruning required for shaping also forces the tree to produce smaller replacement leaves.
2. Ramification and Movement
- Ramification (Branch Density): Achieving the fine, dense branching structure (komi-eda) that suggests age is the ultimate goal. This requires constant tip-pruning during the growing season, cutting new shoots back to one or two nodes repeatedly over many years.
- Trunk Taper (Tachiagari): Excellent, smooth trunk taper is paramount in these small sizes, achieved through early and disciplined pruning and/or wiring.
Pots and Display (Koten Culture)
In the Shohin tradition, the presentation of the tree and its accompaniments is an art form itself.
1. Pot Selection (Hachi)
- Pot Size: Pots are shallow and minimal, directly contributing to the tree's diminutive appearance.
- Aesthetics: Unlike the subdued pots of large bonsai, pots for Mame and Shohin are often more colourful, decorative, and glazed, acting as a complementary feature. The colour and texture must harmonise perfectly with the tree's foliage and trunk.
2. Display and Koten
Mame and Shohin are rarely displayed alone in formal settings. They are traditionally presented in combinations known as Shohin Gafu-ten or Koten displays, which typically include:
- Accent Plants (Kusamono): A small, non-woody accent plant (such as a grass, moss, flower, or fern) is almost always displayed alongside the tree. This contrast emphasises the seasonality (kisetsu) and delicate balance of the composition.
- Display Slab (Jita): The entire arrangement is placed on a small, elegant wooden or stone slab (jita or tenchi) to elevate the composition, define its space, and create a miniature landscape.
- Tiered Displays: Shohin exhibitions often feature multi-tiered displays (Kazaridai) where multiple small trees are arranged to create an overarching, harmonious view, showcasing seasonality and variety. This arrangement reflects the complex, yet balanced, nature of traditional Japanese room displays.
Repotting Mame and Shohin
Repotting is a high-risk operation in these sizes, requiring utmost care to preserve the vulnerable root mass.
- Frequency: Every 1 to 2 years, due to the rapid exhaustion of the small soil volume.
- Timing: Early spring, just as the buds begin to swell.
- Technique: Root pruning must be gentle and minimal. The priority is to replace the exhausted, compacted soil with fresh, mineral-rich medium while causing the least disturbance possible.
- Post-Care: Due to vulnerability, the tree is placed in a sheltered, humid environment (like a sealed clear plastic bag or humidity chamber) for 1–2 weeks after repotting to stabilise the roots and minimize water loss.