Guess what, which one is 100 million yen (one million dollar) BONSAI?

 A little while ago, I watched a Japanese variety show "TV performer rating classification check (芸能人格付けチェック)". Major Japanese artists, major Japanese TV performer, major Japanese comedian and major Japanese actor appear in the TV show. They are checked whether they are real major people or not. 

GACKT is a regular of the TV show.

Masatoshi Hamada is a facilitator of the show. He is one of major Japanese comedian. His comedy duo name is "Down Town". His partner is Hitoshi Matsumoto who made a film "Big man in Japan (大日本人)". "Down Town" is a great comedy duo. I love them. Especially, Hitoshi Matsumoto, he has a great deal of talent. I want to post an article about them someday.

Masatoshi Hamada. His nick name is "Hama-chan"

Hama-chan shows general products (Amateur) and luxury goods (professional) of the same category to the major people. And then, they have to figure out which one is the luxury goods. That will determine their rank according to the number of correct answers. The question is alternative "A" or "B" with some exceptions. 

For example, they distinguish sound of a violin. The violinist plays same music by using two different violins. One of them is a mass-produced product, cheap violin and the other one is Stradivarius which is worth hundreds of thousands to several million U.S. dollars at today's prices. It is very hard to distinguish. 

And there was a Bonsai question. Here are two Bonsais.

Please try to think which one is one million dollar Bonsai.

One of them is made by Kunio Kobayashi who is a Bonsai expert and owner of Shunkaen Bosai Museum. 

Bonsai expert: Mr. Kunio Kobayashi

 Shunkaen Bosai Museum

4 times winner of Prime Minister Award

The other one is a fake Bonsai. But It is made by Mitsuyo Otsuki. She is an artificial Bonsai expert. Her Bonsai is not real but her technique is fantastic.

Artificial Bonsai expert: Ms. Mitsuyo Otsuki

These are the materials for Artificial Bonsai.
She is also winner of Prime Minister Award.

They are both professional and master of the field. Here is the Bosai picture again. The point is the height. A has double in height than B.

Have a closer look at A and B

They look very similar for me. A is kind of huge as Bonsai, I guess. B is bright in color.

They can not touch them and they have to see Bonsais from some distance. Did you get your answer? Please take a look the pictures again if you are still thinking.


Are you ready to answer? The answer is... (scroll down)

A.

Shokaku: one million dollar Bonsai made by Kunio Kobayashi

This Pine is 600-year-old! 
He said he can not feel any texture and vitality from the artificial Bonsai.

I don't know who is going to buy this one million dollar Bonsai. But it is really one million dollar. It is just amazing. I want to take a look this Bonsai from up close and try to make my own Bonsai. Do you want to try it too? I found a nice kit on Amazon. 
The Mini Bonsai Kit
It includes the following: a 32 page book explaining bonsai gardening, an instruction sheet, a small pot, a peat pellet, a packet of seeds, and a pair of scissors.

I will try it to see and let you know at a later date what it's like.

By the way, only team GACKT (with Takanori Nishikawa) gave a correct answer. I think GACKT is a real major artist.

Thank you!