UNIVERSITY OF BONSAI

The Bonsai University, founded by Luigi Crespi in 1991, is unparalleled in Europe. Born from the desire to provide all amateurs with a professional and comprehensive educational structure, it benefits from the collaboration of Master Kajiwara, both as a teacher and course supervisor, and is guided by an international scientific committee. The three-year course, held at the Parabiago headquarters, addresses all aspects of the art of bonsai, from technical to aesthetic aspects, from the fundamental principles of botany to phytopathology, offering students the opportunity to concretely apply the techniques learned during the lessons using plants provided by the school. The Bonsai University has developed a comprehensive educational program, capable of meeting the needs of any amateur and professional at any level, having trained over 400 students in 20 years of activity. Short introductory courses to the art of bonsai and workshops are also offered: personalized courses that allow you to learn the techniques through assisted work on your own tree. Short courses are held periodically at our offices in Parabiago (Milan), Milan, and Brescia. Workshops are available upon request. Through the courses offered by the Bonsai University, Crespi Bonsai has managed to provide an essential tool for a successful approach to bonsai.

Born in Fukuoka, Japan, on March 19, 1951, master Nobuyuki Kajiwara has taught bonsai art at the Crespi Bonsai University in Italy since its founding in 1991. Since the same year, he has overseen the development of the masterpieces at the Crespi Bonsai Museum. His strong artistic sensibility, the fruit of a lively and creative personality and honed by an intense curriculum of university studies, blends harmoniously with a meticulous technique, acquired during his apprenticeship with the Kato family, which has a long tradition of preserving the bonsai heritage, but above all, developed through work and teaching experience in various European and non-European countries. After graduating from the University of Foreign Studies in Osaka in Japan, he then spent time in the Netherlands pursuing a degree in Middle Eastern Literature at Leiden University. Fascinated by art and the interpretations of it expressed by different peoples, he traveled extensively throughout Europe, from Spain to Greece, North Africa, and throughout the Orient. This led to his development of a concept of the universality of art, which is beauty regardless of its form. He applies this concept to bonsai art, admitting different interpretations related to nature, climate, and the artistic sensibility that evolves in each country in a different way. He currently lives in London, but travels frequently to curate private collections and give courses and seminars, not only in Italy but also in Germany, Spain, Switzerland, New Zealand, and others. His sensitive and unique approach to bonsai is the result of experience gained in diverse geographical and climatic situations and a profound respect for nature and the plant world.

Since 2003, the Bonsai University has opened a section dedicated to Japanese gardens and offers both basic and advanced courses, under the collaboration and supervision of master Isao Yoshikawa. The courses are aimed at both amateurs and professionals in the gardening sector and provide, in addition to the cultural education needed to understand and appreciate Japanese gardens, the technical foundations for their design and practical implementation. The course covers all the technical and aesthetic issues that encompass the art of Japanese gardens, exploring the fundamental principles specifically related to design and knowledge of materials. It also offers students the opportunity to apply what they learn in class through hands-on experience. The course aims to train individuals who, through an interdisciplinary understanding of the components that characterize Japanese gardens, are able to provide consultancy, design, and implementation services for both private and public projects. The training is designed to prepare technicians capable of designing, implementing, and managing oriental landscaping. The course's main focus is on introducing students to the multidisciplinary process of designing Japanese systems, understanding their organization and functioning, and helping to evaluate and resolve their problems through sustainable transformation interventions that address the specific settlement and environmental characteristics of the context in which they operate.

Isao Yoshikawa was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1940. He studied at Shibaura Technical College, earning a degree in Architecture. During his studies, he specialized in Japanese gardens, building on his university research on ancient Japanese gardens. In 1963, he founded the Japanese Garden Research Association and is currently its president. He is also a member of the Soshu Chinese Garden Society and the Koshu Chinese Garden Society, a Japanese garden researcher, garden artist, and rock carver. He has edited numerous publications on Japanese gardens, including an Italian edition entitled "Creating Your Own Japanese Garden," published by Crespi Editori. Among the forty books published by the Master, also: Japanese Garden illustration (1973), Bamboo fence (1977), Stone hand water bowl (1989), The famous Garden of Chinese (1990), The Garden of the Zen temple (1991), The Garden of the stone set (1992), Bamboo fence-making (1997), Garden technical term dictionary (2000), Suzhou Garden photograph collection (2002), Bamboo fence, design example collection (2005). • Main research carried out Master Yoshikawa has carried out research on the aesthetics of the garden, the modelling of stones, bamboo fences, tsukubai (stone basins containing water), garden lanterns, the restoration of the historical garden and the Chinese garden. • Among the various projects he has curated: The gardens of the Dairen-ji Temple, Chiba prefecture; the gardens of the Sensho-in Temple, Yamanashi prefecture; the gardens of the Komyo-ji Temple, Kamakura city; Sinkou-ji Temple Gardens, Niihama City; Sesyo-ji Temple Gardens, Kofu City; Yasukuni Shrine Gardens, Tokyo City; Goei-en Chinese Gardens, Suzhou City; restaurants, offices, villas, and private studios.