Kobayashi was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1948. His family was involved in floriculture,[1] and he grew up working in a nursery.[2] In 1976, at age 28, he saw a Japanese white pine bonsai in an exhibition and was inspired to study the art form.[2] Now, over 200 apprentices and international students study under Kobayashi.[2] He has also given lectures on bonsai in nearly twenty countries.[3]
In 2002, Kobayashi opened the Shunkaen Bonsai Museum (Japanese: 春花園 BONSAI 美術館) in the Edogawa ward of Tokyo.[1][4] The garden houses over 1,000 trees[2] and attracts abouts 10,000 foreign visitors each year.[3] One of the garden's most famous trees is estimated to be 1,000 years old.[4] This tree, which Kobayashi acquired in an auction,[5] is considered by many to be the finest in his collection.[4]
Awards
Kobayashi has won 10 awards at the Kokufu-ten exhibition, including four Prime Minister Awards (the highest honor).[1] In addition, he has won the Koju-ten Taisho (first place), four Saikan-ten Prime Minister Awards, the Ministry of Agriculture Award, two Ministry of Education Awards, and numerous other awards and honors.[6]
