The grandest and biggest bonsai, ikebana and suiseki exhibition in Asia recently opened at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia.

"SM Supermalls is honored to be the venue for the first-ever joint convention of the Asia Pacific Bonsai and Suiseki Convention and the Asia Pacific Bonsai Friendship Federation. The exhibition also coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Philippine Bonsai Society Inc., the country's oldest and most prestigious garden club," said Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls senior vice president for marketing.

Over 300 bonsai trees were on display at the MOA Music Hall, Entertainment Mall and Central Atrium. The exhibit also showcased three distinct forms of Japanese art: Bonsai, a miniature lifelike representation of nature; Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement that conveys emotions and reveals the harmony between flora and other elements; and, Suiseki or the Japanese art of stone appreciation.

Joining the exhibit launch were the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines Chargé d'Affaires Minister Matsuda Kenichi; PBSI president Yumie Gupit; and ASPAC and ABFF 2023 chairman Bobby Gopiao. They were warmly welcomed by SM officials — San Agustin, vice president for corporate marketing Grace Magno and senior assistant vice president for operations Premier 3 Perkin So.

"The event's theme 'Beauty beyond years, beyond borders' is an apt description of how the bond our nations have developed through the years. Like the bonsai showcased today, time and past experiences helped plant the seeds of friendships between our nations — cultivated into the beauty that they are now," Kenichi said.

Meanwhile, the exhibit also featured a three-day workshop and learning session on Japanese art with renowned Japanese Bonsai masters Kunio Kobayashi, Shinji Suzuki and Hiroaki Suzuki.

Global bonsai federations were also present at the event, including from Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and India. Demonstrations were also made which featured the intricacies of bonsai, ikebana and suiseki.