From Friday 12 to Sunday 14 September 2025, at the Crespi Bonsai Museum in Parabiago (MI), bonsai and Oriental enthusiasts will once again be able to enjoy the 15th edition of the International Bonsai & Suiseki Gathering - Crespi Cup 2025 will be held once again for bonsai and Oriental enthusiasts, a cultural event designed to bring the public closer to the world of nature, art and beauty.
Set among the beautiful Japanese gardens of the Crespi Bonsai Museum, the gathering will feature exhibitions of bonsai, suiseki (evocative stones) and pots from the most famous and prestigious collections in Europe, as well as shows, demonstrations, courses and workshops that will give visitors the opportunity to meet leading figures from the world of Japanese culture and art, such as master Takahiro Kato, a true bonsai legend and fifth-generation bonsai artist, master Masayuki Fujikawa, one of the most influential bonsai masters of his generation, assisted by his wife Takako Fujikawa, and master Nobuyuki Kajiwara, curator of the Crespi Bonsai Museum and lecturer at the University of Bonsai.
Special events include guided tours of the exhibitions and the Crespi Bonsai Museum, a tea ceremony, Japanese painting and calligraphy workshops, and bonsai and origami courses for children.
There will be five exhibitions-competitions to visit. This is a special opportunity for visitors to admire over 250 works on display, including incredible bonsai specimens (ranging from 10 to 80 cm in height), suiseki (evocative landscape stones, but also stones shaped like humans or animals) and handmade pots from the most prestigious European collections.
There will also be female protagonists: Takako Fujikawa, the first female bonsai artist to be a guest at the Crespi Cup. The world of bonsai is generally male-dominated, but this year you will be able to see Takako Fujikawa at work, who has been the irreplaceable assistant to master Masayuki Fujikawa for over 20 years.
Other guests include shodō calligraphy and sumi-e painting master Kazuko Kataoka and Urasenke school tea ceremony expert Yoko Takada, who will invite visitors to take part in the fascinating ritual, scheduled for both Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September.
With Yukiko Okabayashi, visitors will be able to discover the sweet world of traditional Japanese confectionery.
This is an event not to be missed, even for the little ones, who will be invited to follow a path where they can discover the magic and hidden secrets of the Eastern world through courses dedicated to bonsai and origami: a unique opportunity to introduce children to art and nature.
The world's leading bonsai and suiseki experts will be available to the public for talks, technical demonstrations and workshops: Takahiro Kato together with Masayuki Fujikawa, who will be joined by Nobuyuki Kajiwara,. These exceptional artists will be joined by the big names in Italian bonsai: Igor Carino, Edoardo Rossi and Andrea Scarenzi, who will be giving lessons and courses. This is an unmissable event where you can immerse yourself in the incomparable atmosphere of ancient Eastern traditions, surrounded by a natural setting full of beauty and poetry.
Yuzen and shodō | Under the guidance of master Kazuko Kataoka, a refined Japanese artist, you can learn how to paint on tanzaku (Japanese paper) or write your name in ideograms.
Tea ceremony and tastings | Yoko Takada, an expert in the Urasenke school of tea ceremony, will invite visitors to participate in the fascinating ritual of the tea ceremony, including tastings of this ancient beverage on both days.
You can bring your own bonsai to the free educational workshops to receive advice on maintenance and training from students at the University of Bonsai. The programme also includes lessons on pruning, transplanting, flowering and fruit species, and rock style, led by master Kajiwara, a teacher at the school.
Throughout the event, visitors will be able to take part in guided tours of the Crespi Museum and Japanese gardens. Founded in 1991, the museum houses an extraordinary collection of specimens, some of which are over a thousand years old, such as the millennial Ficus retusa, as well as vases, books, okimono and antique satsuma.
Visitors can visit the Oriental market, where typical handicrafts will be on display: kimonos, obis, kokeshi dolls, jewellery, gifts, ceramics and themed books. In an area dedicated to tea, blends, teapots and cups will be presented, as well as typical Japanese pastries.
...and to win a BONSAI, simply vote for your favourite bonsai, on display in the exhibition-competition “Amatori a Confronto” (Amateurs in Comparison). The winner of a bonsai will be drawn from among all those who vote.
Set among the beautiful Japanese gardens of the Crespi Bonsai Museum, the gathering will feature exhibitions of bonsai, suiseki (evocative stones) and pots from the most famous and prestigious collections in Europe, as well as shows, demonstrations, courses and workshops that will give visitors the opportunity to meet leading figures from the world of Japanese culture and art, such as master Takahiro Kato, a true bonsai legend and fifth-generation bonsai artist, master Masayuki Fujikawa, one of the most influential bonsai masters of his generation, assisted by his wife Takako Fujikawa, and master Nobuyuki Kajiwara, curator of the Crespi Bonsai Museum and lecturer at the University of Bonsai.
Special events include guided tours of the exhibitions and the Crespi Bonsai Museum, a tea ceremony, Japanese painting and calligraphy workshops, and bonsai and origami courses for children.
There will be five exhibitions-competitions to visit. This is a special opportunity for visitors to admire over 250 works on display, including incredible bonsai specimens (ranging from 10 to 80 cm in height), suiseki (evocative landscape stones, but also stones shaped like humans or animals) and handmade pots from the most prestigious European collections.
There will also be female protagonists: Takako Fujikawa, the first female bonsai artist to be a guest at the Crespi Cup. The world of bonsai is generally male-dominated, but this year you will be able to see Takako Fujikawa at work, who has been the irreplaceable assistant to master Masayuki Fujikawa for over 20 years.
Other guests include shodō calligraphy and sumi-e painting master Kazuko Kataoka and Urasenke school tea ceremony expert Yoko Takada, who will invite visitors to take part in the fascinating ritual, scheduled for both Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September.
With Yukiko Okabayashi, visitors will be able to discover the sweet world of traditional Japanese confectionery.
This is an event not to be missed, even for the little ones, who will be invited to follow a path where they can discover the magic and hidden secrets of the Eastern world through courses dedicated to bonsai and origami: a unique opportunity to introduce children to art and nature.
The world's leading bonsai and suiseki experts will be available to the public for talks, technical demonstrations and workshops: Takahiro Kato together with Masayuki Fujikawa, who will be joined by Nobuyuki Kajiwara,. These exceptional artists will be joined by the big names in Italian bonsai: Igor Carino, Edoardo Rossi and Andrea Scarenzi, who will be giving lessons and courses. This is an unmissable event where you can immerse yourself in the incomparable atmosphere of ancient Eastern traditions, surrounded by a natural setting full of beauty and poetry.
Yuzen and shodō | Under the guidance of master Kazuko Kataoka, a refined Japanese artist, you can learn how to paint on tanzaku (Japanese paper) or write your name in ideograms.
Tea ceremony and tastings | Yoko Takada, an expert in the Urasenke school of tea ceremony, will invite visitors to participate in the fascinating ritual of the tea ceremony, including tastings of this ancient beverage on both days.
You can bring your own bonsai to the free educational workshops to receive advice on maintenance and training from students at the University of Bonsai. The programme also includes lessons on pruning, transplanting, flowering and fruit species, and rock style, led by master Kajiwara, a teacher at the school.
Throughout the event, visitors will be able to take part in guided tours of the Crespi Museum and Japanese gardens. Founded in 1991, the museum houses an extraordinary collection of specimens, some of which are over a thousand years old, such as the millennial Ficus retusa, as well as vases, books, okimono and antique satsuma.
Visitors can visit the Oriental market, where typical handicrafts will be on display: kimonos, obis, kokeshi dolls, jewellery, gifts, ceramics and themed books. In an area dedicated to tea, blends, teapots and cups will be presented, as well as typical Japanese pastries.
...and to win a BONSAI, simply vote for your favourite bonsai, on display in the exhibition-competition “Amatori a Confronto” (Amateurs in Comparison). The winner of a bonsai will be drawn from among all those who vote.