Bonsai master Saburo Kato and bonsai-no-kokoro

Saburo Kato (加藤三郎, 1915–2008) was one of the most influential figures in modern bonsai and is often called the father of international bonsai. Born into a long line of bonsai professionals, he became the third-generation owner of Mansei-en Bonsai Nursery in Ōmiya, Japan, an area that later became the world center of bonsai culture. After World War II, Kato believed bonsai could serve a higher purpose than aesthetics alone—he saw it as a way to rebuild cultural bridges and promote peace.

​

This belief gave rise to bonsai-no-kokoro (盆栽の心), meaning “the heart” or “spirit of bonsai.” For Kato, bonsai-no-kokoro was not just about technical mastery, but about cultivating patience, humility, harmony with nature, and respect for time. A bonsai, shaped over decades or centuries, embodied values that transcended national and cultural boundaries.

​

To spread this philosophy, Kato helped found the World Bonsai Friendship Federation (WBFF) in 1989 and traveled extensively, welcoming students from around the world to Mansei-en. His teachings emphasized that bonsai is a living art shared across generations, where the grower is a temporary caretaker rather than an owner.

​

Today, Saburo Kato’s legacy lives on through Mansei-en, the global bonsai community, and the enduring idea of bonsai-no-kokoro—that true bonsai is not only seen with the eyes, but understood with the heart.

​

The Peace Through Bonsai movement has been developed as a continuance of Kato's vision, with co-founders David Sullivan and Kevin Faris bringing a fresh, modern approach to disseminating the vision and voice of bonsai-no-kokoro.