Most bonsai show’s feature tokonomas which are displays placed on a single eight-foot-long table. They include not only a tree but also other items such as a suiseki stone, an accent plant or a scroll. Have you ever wondered where the idea came from?

The concept of a tokonoma is actually very old. Up until about 1300 CE the Japanese rulers were hereditary, that is the emperor’s son became the next emperor. These rulers lived in palaces that were a series of rather small buildings interconnected by covered walkways. In about 1300 CE the military took over.

The military were deeply into Zen Buddhism and built palaces which were heavily influenced by temple architecture. Temples were single large buildings which stood alone. Head abbots in the temples had small areas in their living quarters where items were placed for meditation. The military rulers also incorporated these areas from the very start into their new palaces and these became known as tokonomas.

Originally ceramic pots and candleholders were featured in the tokonomas, but in a short time flower arrangements became popular. Only much later were bonsai trees used in tokonomas. The flower arrangements led to the Japanese art of ikebana which is now very much alive in Japan and has many schools teaching the art.

As a matter of fact, today in Japan many more tokonomas feature flower arrangements rather than bonsai. Tokonomas reflect the origins in religious meditation which places a high value on nature. All of the items in a tokonoma are related to nature and are intended to be a single composition which denotes a particular time and place.

The accent plant should be from the same habitat as the tree. For example, California junipers grow in harsh and arid environments and ferns which grow in moist shady areas and should not be used as accent plants for these trees.

The time of season is important particularly in choice of scroll if one is used. A scroll showing a fall scene such as migrating birds shown against a stormy sky would clash with a flowering plum tree which is a sign of spring. An accent plant in flower does not do justice to a leafless tree displayed as a winter silhouette In short, tokonomas are tradition that is nearly 700 years old.

A well-crafted tokonoma display requires considerable thought to be successful. Next time you go to a bonsai show that features tokonomas, spend a moment in front of each display and see whether it represents a single time and place. If it does, admire the skill of the artist that assembled it.