Being related art forms, bonsai and suiseki are often displayed together. Bonsai societies in the U.S. and Europe were the first to introduce suiseki to their countries. Japanese immigrants practicing the art of bonsai also collected suiseki as companion pieces to their trees. Occasional bonsai magazine and newspaper articles have also generated enthusiasm for suiseki. I receive a flurry of letters and phone calls from around the country and abroad requesting more information.
Bonsai conventions continue to add lectures and workshops on suiseki.
One such group of lectures held in Florida at the Second International Bonsai Congress in 1993 drew hundreds of interested and curious observers. The art of suiseki is not just for gem and mineral hobbyists and bonsai growers. It appeals to many different people, from lovers of Japanese culture to those who simply like to hike and get out into nature, and it serves a wide range of proclivities and interests. Interest in Japanese Arts and Culture Interest in suiseki often stems from an interest in things Japanese, and learning about suiseki often entails learning more about its cultural context, about Japanese aesthetics, literature, and geography. Not only are field collectors attracted by the possibility of discovering quality suiseki, they are also drawn by a quest for the as yet unknown and unseen.