A Minimal and Progressive Plant

Bonsai has become a business. It is a huge business in some particular countries. In 2008, Animal Quarantine Service Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan announced an interesting data, in the previous year (2007,) which shows the total amount of money of exported Bonsai from Japan and a breakdown by country as it is shown below:

The total amount:
￥5,452,500,000 (≒$46,207,627.1) [$1≒￥118 (2007)]

No.1: Netherlands (20%)
No.2: The UK (15%)
No.3: Spain (14%)
No.3: Taiwan (14%)
No.4: Italy (13%)
No.5: Germany (5%)

Surprisingly, except Taiwan, the dominants are European countries. Although Italy was ranked in no.4, it still showed a quite number. When it comes to the data in 2004, as another surprising thing, the total amount was only ￥890,000,000, which is about 1/6. The market had become more than 6 times bigger in 3 years. Yes, the Bonsai market was a really attractive! Yes...it "was..."
(To be continued)