Bonsai – the art of growing miniature trees in shallow pots – is pretty cool in itself, but a Japanese company is taking it to the next level with ‘Air Bonsai’an invention that has the miniature trees levitate and rotate about half an inch above their pots.
Considering how mindblowing the effect is, it’s easy to mistake Air Bonsai for an optical illusion, but it is in fact quite real. Hoshinchu, the company developing the product, apparently wanted to incorporate elements of our galaxy into the idea of miniature plants. So their creation consists of two main components – ‘little star’ and ‘energy base’.
The little star is a levitating moss ball that you can transplant any bonsai plant into. It also has a rotating mechanism that runs on an AC adaptor. The energy base is made of Imari, a traditional Japanese porcelain art. It conducts magnetic energy that makes the plant float. The system is similar to the one used in OM/ONE speakers. “Each Air Bonsai is unique,” the page states, “ranging from elegant flowering plants, bold ‘matsu’ (pines), to delightful mosses.”
The company is trying to raise funds through Kickstarter, with pledges starting at $1, going all the way up to $10,000. They’ve already raised over $400,000 surpassing their $80,000 goal with 33 days to go.
Air Bonsai will start shipping in August, but will not include the miniature trees, since companies are forbidden from exporting certain plants. To solve this problem, Hoshinchu will be teaming up with plant growers around the world to provide customers with a complete Air Bonsai kit.
If you’re thinking of getting yourself or a loved one a truly special gift, you can’t go wrong with a levitating, rotating live plant, right?
Photos: Hoshinchu Air Bonsai Garden
via Kickstarter
