Welcome to Shohin School

Shohin School's goal is to support the bonsai community by providing education and inspiration to help students create, maintain, and display collections of outstanding shohin bonsai.

Winter Shohin School is our annual shohin event, taking place on January 26th  28th 2024 in Portland, Oregon. A weekend seminar (with lectures, group exercises, critiques, demos and workshops), an exhibition of shohin bonsai, and a markplace of shohin goods make up the shohin packed weekend. Registration coming this summer. 

Shohin School

Shohin School is west coast shohin community designed to give students proficiency of shohin bonsai technique and display creation. It's comprised of an annual shohin seminar each January in Portland, Oregon, seasonal half and full day shohin workshops at Rakuyo Bonsai and an intensive shohin study group. Shohin School's goal is to support the bonsai community by providing education and inspiration to help students create, maintain and display collections of outstanding shohin bonsai.

Save the date, our next seminar is January 26th-28th, 2024 with Daisaku Nomoto!

Faculty & Founders

Jonas Dupuich

Specalizing in coniferous shohin, Jonas Dupuich runs a Northern California bonsai nursery where he teaches and writes about bonsai. He is the author of The Little Book of Bonsai and the Bonsai Tonight blog, a weekly publication featuring how-to articles and photographs of bonsai around the world. His trees have been selected for display in local and regional exhibits, including the US National Bonsai Exhibition. Jonas grows a variety of different species and specializes in developing black pine bonsai from seed. Learn more at bonsaitonight.com

Andrew Robson

Specializing in deciduous shohin, Andrew Robson runs RAKUYO Bonsai, a deciduous focused bonsai garden in Portland, Oregon.  He studied with Michael Hagedorn after graduating from Yale University. Andrew is the President of the Bonsai Society of Portland, the largest bonsai club in the United States. He regularly exhibits work at the Portland Japanese Garden, and lectures at the garden's Japanese Arts Learning Center. Andrew is a host of the Bonsai Wire Podcast and resides in Portland with his golden retriever, Bailey. Learn more at rakuyobonsai.com

Upcoming Events

Monthly meetings and workshops at Rakuyo-en - Portland, Oregon

Winter Shohin School is our annual shohin event, taking place on January 26th  28th 2024 in Portland, Oregon. A weekend seminar (with lectures, group exercises, critiques, demos and workshops), an exhibition of shohin bonsai, and a markplace of shohin goods make up the shohin packed weekend. Registration coming this summer. x