The popular image of bonsai may be a little too esoteric. Takamatsu bonsai, however, is closely connected to everyday life. Students on bicycles ride past nurseries where pine seedlings grow, and bonsai trees are commonly displayed in people’s rooms. Bonsai was originally intended to be a hobby that anyone could enjoy. Growing bonsai is a creative process: in what shape should you train the branches? You are free to choose, there is no ‘right’ answer. You may be surprised at the unexpected way that trees grow, and waiting for them to grow is part of the fun. Some people even see the bonsai they cultivate as metaphors for their own lives. Bonsai can be a road to self-rediscovery. Creative Bonsai: as trees grow, people’s lives are enriched.