About Me

Welcome to my Blog!

My name is Peter Tea and in this Blog, I will be sharing my experiences as a Bonsai Apprentice at Aichi-en Bonsai Nursery in Nagoya, Japan. I am from San Jose, California but will be residing here for the next five years while I complete my apprenticeship. In this blog I will be posting about the new skills I’m learning and the day to day life of a Bonsai Apprentice.  I’ve got five years here, so there will be lots to share and talk about.

A little history of myself

I started learning about Bonsai since 2001.  How I got into bonsai is sort of a funny story.   I became a Automotive Technician in 2001 and started off as an apprentice.  There was only one person at the dealership that I was afraid of and he was the foremen (man in charge), and was known for giving apprentices a hard time.   I noticed that in his office he had a couple of small bonsai trees.  As a way to get yelled at less, I decided to ask him about his trees.  Little did I know that that was the beginning of my Bonsai journey.  After about a year talking bonsai with my foremen I was turned to my first bonsai club.  Midori Bonsai Club is the first bonsai club that I joined and in 2007 became the president.

 Most of my Bonsai training came in 2003 when I met Boon Manakitivitpart in Alameda. BonsaiBoon.com. I signed up for his Bonsai Intensive program after seeing him do a demonstration at the Sei Boku Kai Bonsai club meeting in San Mateo.  After finishing his three year intensive program, I graduated and decided joined Bay Island Bonsai in 2007.

 In 2008 I started my own Bonsai business called Peter Tea Bonsai.  I hold workshops, study groups, demonstrations and sell bonsai related items.  I decided to start my business for the pure fact of funding my now, “obsession,” with Bonsai!

 I believe the reason why I stuck with Bonsai is because I have always had an appreciation of nature, and in many ways, have a sense of being apart of it when I work on my trees.  Through bonsai, I developed more of a connection with all living things and an appreciation of all the different characteristics that they posses.  With that connection, I feel like I am a part of something more then just myself.