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  Nippon Suiseki Association All exhibitions of the Nippon Suiseki Association are supported by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
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SORA(Shingo Edo omnibus) by Kuniko Obina
 
 
Introduction
     
  The history of Japanese suiseki is thought to have begun in the Muromachi period (1333-1573), and two well known examples from this early period remain: Sue-no-matsuyama (Eternal Pine Mountain), a treasure of Kyotofs Nishi-Honganji temple, and Yume-no-ukihashi (Floating Bridge of Dreams) of the Tokugawa Museum in Nagoya.

Suiseki started to gain wider popularity in the late Edo (1600-1868) and early Meiji (1868-1911) periods. The well-known literatus (bunjin) Rai Sanfyo (1780-1832) was among the first enthusiasts who began to seriously develop the art, and a few suiseki that belonged to him remain today. In Meiji, suiseki was picked up and carried on increasingly by bonsai artists, and as such has been brought to the current day.

Here in Japan, we are fortunate to have an abundance of nature shaped by mountains and rivers, and all parts of the country produce suiseki of excellent quality. In the hearts of those who gaze upon and appreciate this nature, there exists also the foundation for an appreciation of suiseki.

  
  The Nippon Suiseki Association is an organization for all lovers and enthusiasts of suiseki, and we welcome anyone with interest to join.
  
 
 
 
Chairman of the Nippon Suiseki Association
Arishige Matsuura
July, 2007
 
 
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