Bonsai, one of Japan's most internationally acclaimed arts, has been gaining popularity in recent years, particularly in North America. As evidenced by the Portland Japanese Garden, Oregon is home to a diverse community of bonsai enthusiasts who dedicate themselves to honing their skills. At the heart of this movement are two organizations: The Artisans Cup and MIRAI. The Artisans Cup hosts bonsai competitions and provides an archive of the information to paying members. Members can learn valuable techniques by listening to audio comments from the competition judges on the entrants' works, and watch videos of panel discussions between experts held on the day. MIRAI is a website offering bonsai classes and selling bonsai pots and other supplies. Both organizations strive to realize the collaboration between humans and nature in pursuit of beauty, honoring history while exploring new possibilities.

Both "The Artisans Cup" and "MIRAI" were founded and are run by husband and wife team Ryan and Chelsea Neil. Ryan became interested in the world of bonsai through martial arts, which he had been practicing since his teens, and from there he became fascinated, training in Japan for six years to hone his skills. He says the appeal of bonsai is that "of all the things I know, bonsai is the only thing that speaks of beauty through its imperfection as much as bonsai." The passionate couple continue to spread the beauty and appeal of bonsai to people today, with the goal of holding "The Artisans Cup" competition in Sydney, Australia in 2020 and at an art museum in New York in 2025.

*This article has been translated and written with permission from (Source: http://www.bonsaimirai.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.theartisanscup.com/
http://www.bonsaimirai.com/).