Over the years, Japanese bonsai evolved into an expression of personal aesthetic consistent with the teachings of Zen Buddhism and the interrelationship of man, nature and the elements. Bonsai trees are grown in small ceramic pots and through careful and systematic pruning, root trimming, transplanting, watering and fertilization are cultivated to become works of art in their own right. Like their counterparts in the wild, bonsai trees can live to be hundreds of years old and it is not uncommon for a family to pass on a bonsai tree from generation to generation. Although an ever widening variety of trees are used in bonsai , traditionally, pines, azaleas and maples are the most popular. Those cultivated outdoors experience the usual seasonal changes including the changing of leaf color in autumn, the dropping of leaves in winter and the new growth of spring.
Origami is the Japanese art of paper-folding.
Since the Chinese invented paper sometime during the first century A.D., they also began folding paper to create a variety of useful and decorative objects. Buddhist priests studying in China first brought paper to Japan during the sixth century and paper-folding was soon adopted in religious rituals and daily customs. Paper-folding was primarily used as a way to wrap special objects and gifts and this tradition continues to this day. The paper crane is perhaps the most popular and famous of all origami objects. Legend has it that 1,000 folded cranes will bring health and good fortune and it is customary to make 1,000 paper cranes for people who are ill with the hopes that they will recover.