MASASHI HIRAO, BONSAI BAD BOY

A 1000 year-old tradition becomes hip

An episode from the series BONSAI BAD BOY

Synopsis

In 2003, Masashi Hirao became the last apprentice of Japan's great bonsai master Saburo Kato. Before Saburo-san died, he passed on to his apprentice a seemingly impossible mission: to prevent the 1000 year old art from dying-out in the face of a rapidly changing world.

Masashi’s early efforts are dogged by an unclear path and many failures, so he sets out to travel the world, drawing on innovative trends in contemporary art.

But his journey questions long-held beliefs and sets the apprentice on a collision course with the very tradition he revered.