Custodial culture × visualization of ownership, a new form of cultural inheritance depicted by BONSAI NFT CLUB – Challenging the global art market after 3 years of establishment | CoinDesk JAPAN

The project “BONSAI NFT CLUB,” which NFT-ifies the traditional Japanese culture of bonsai and broadcasts it to the world, celebrated its 3rd anniversary in April 2025. By making bonsai, which has been cherished among a limited number of enthusiasts, ownable in the form of NFTs, the barriers to management have been lowered. Through the initiative of RWA (Real World Asset) that connects the digital and the real, it presents a new way of cultural inheritance.

On April 26th, about 20 CLUB members who hold NFTs gathered at the affiliated Seishouen in Saitama Prefecture for a commemorative event. A live performance was presented by bonsai master Narushi Hirao, and founder Yusuke Maichi discussed the outlook for the next five years.

The “BONSAI NFT GALLERY” that led to collaboration with Sony

Since its establishment, the CLUB has launched multiple projects. In the first phase, a system was introduced where purchasing an NFT would result in a physical bonsai being delivered to one’s home. In the second phase, 8,031 generative NFTs were sold, and a system was established where titles such as “Gardener,” “Great Gardener,” and “Super Gardener” are awarded based on the number of NFTs held. The benefits vary according to the title, including participation in the lottery sale of original bonsais.

〈Managed Bonsai at Seishouen〉Starting in 2023, as the third phase, we launched the “BONSAI NFT GALLERY” to sell bonsai art as NFTs. The ownership is tokenized as NFTs, and the physical management is handled by Seishouen, but all 16 artworks sold on Ethereum so far have been completely sold out.

These achievements caught the attention of Sony, leading to the launch of the NFT marketplace “SNFT” operated by the Sony Group in January 2025. A work priced at 5 million yen sold out immediately, attracting significant attention.

Related articles: The chemical reaction between traditional culture and NFT - The value of “orthodoxy” demonstrated by Bonsai NFT [Sony Group’s RWA project]

Bonsai = A Hobby for the Elderly?

Bonsai is generally regarded as a hobby for the elderly, but on this day, the presence of young people in their 20s and 30s was prominent.

A male holder in his twenties who currently owns three art bonsais revealed that his interest in new technologies such as blockchain and NFT was the trigger for his purchase. “Managing expensive bonsais by oneself is difficult, but there is peace of mind in being able to leave it to the professionals,” he said, expressing that he found the mechanism connecting NFTs and real-world assets (RWA) interesting, which is why he has been involved since the early stages of the project in 2022.

As I interacted with other participants, my understanding and affection for bonsai deepened. Now, I smiled as I shared that my favorite is the “Ishitsuki bonsai,” which uses natural stones instead of pots.

〈At Seishoen, a variety of bonsai are lined up〉In the same CLUB, the storage fee for bonsai is free. Originally, in the world of bonsai, where a “storage culture” that entrusts cultivation and management to experts has taken root, there was little resistance to separating ownership and management. Focusing on this, the use of NFT to clarify ownership and systematize it as a transferable digital certificate is a feature of the “BONSAI NFT GALLERY.”

In the past, when bonsai were entrusted, even if the garden owner knew the owner, third parties could not identify that, and the actual ownership was kept between the garden owner and the client. By visualizing the owner publicly through NFTs, a more transparent ownership structure has emerged, which, while not perfect, is significantly more transparent than before.

〈Secondary Market Transactions on OpenSea〉Even if you decide to part with it, there is a possibility of smooth transactions by transferring the NFT, and you are not bound by storage locations. The secondary market for ownership can be conducted on the world’s largest NFT marketplace, “OpenSea”.

Challenging the Global Art Market with Bonsai

On this day, following Mr. Hirao’s performance, there was also a lecture by Mr. Maichi titled “BONSAI NFT CLUB VISION 2030.” He spoke about the vision of cultural innovation that aims to reconstruct traditional culture through a modern approach and discussed future prospects.

〈Mr. Maichi teamed up with Mr. Hirao, performing live in front of participants〉Mr. Maichi explained that he aims for reinvestment in the market and continuous growth by encouraging resales by early buyers and revitalizing the secondary market. He also indicated plans to accelerate expansion into existing distribution networks such as museums and art fairs.

He mentioned that by 2050, the global art market is projected to reach a scale of 15 trillion yen, aiming to capture a share equivalent to 10% (1.5 trillion yen) through cultural innovation that goes beyond bonsai. In the future, there are plans to expand activities into other art areas beyond bonsai.

The “BONSAI NFT CLUB” has achieved co-creation with Sony within three years of its establishment and has steadily built a track record by announcing its expansion into the entire art market. However, it may take time to realize the vision proposed by Mr. Maji, which aims to make a significant impact on the global art market.

The challenge of rooting traditional culture in a new context is something we cannot take our eyes off in the future.