Bonniwa is a creation of Hiroshi Matsuda, who has developed and refined it over the last 30 years. It grew out of his interest in Japanese gardens during his days as a student of Landscape Architecture.

Hiro studied under professor Takeo Uesugi. Phd, who taught Japanese Garden Design at Cal Poly, Pomona, and also studied Bonsai with Mr. Kahn Komai, and both instructors became friends and mentors. He was also fortunate, during this period, to learn the art of Saikei from its originator, Mr. Toshio Kawamoto.

Hiro, who has worked as a garden designer, landscaper, instructor, Bonsai and Japanese garden design teacher, and Bonsai nurseryman, considers the development of Bonniwa his most notable achievements, where everything he has learned has come together in one creation.

Imagine a classical Japanese Tea Garden, put it into a tray and that is Bonniwa. The mountain rock outcroppings, forest, waterfall, pathway, bridge, tsukubai, and lantern, all made to scale, and the Bonniwa makes a person feel as though they are in a real Japanese garden.

It can take years to develop a Bonniwa, but in a class offered by Hiro, or in his Bonniwa DVD, you will be taught the skills you need to create this Japanese Garden in a tray in a very short time, and have a Bonniwa that you will be proud to display. In the class or on the DVD, you will learn all the skills required to create and maintain a successful Bonniwa benefiting from Hiro's years of study.

Hiro has designed a cement tray as seen above that he uses for many of his Bonniwa creations, and he also builds wooden trays as seen in the first photograph on this page. He has also used commercial ceramic trays, usually 1 to 2 inches in depth and 18 to 20 inches long. These trays are available through Bonsai suppliers and nurseries, but are generally quite expensive. In his second Bonniwa II DVD, which is currently being edited for publication, Hiro shows the student how to construct the cement Bonniwa tray that he prefers to use. It is inexpensive, sturdy, and can be shaped and sized to meet the individual needs and creative impulses of the student.

Also, in the new Bonniwa II DVD, Hiro demonstrates how he makes the Japanese Garden decorations - Japanese lanterns, water bowls, bridges, etc. that he uses as finishing touches in his Bonniwa creations. These decorations are made of clay and are quite easy to craft to meet your needs. He also discusses the types of rocks that he uses, and how he breaks and shapes them. There will also be instruction on constructing a wooden Bonniwa tray.