Shakan style is part-way between an
upright and a cascade style tree. The slant of the
Bonsai trunk can be anywhere between 30 degrees to as
steep as 75 degrees.
It’s worth noting that with the
Shakan Bonsai technique the first branch is
intentionally designed to face away from the direction
of the Bonsai trunk. Thereby, installing a visual
symmetry which is highly critical to the Bonsai artist.
You may have noticed that naturally
growing trees already share some of these
characteristics as the result of early maturing in an
unsheltered environment. This can be where wind has a
tendency to gust more in one direction than another.
Also, how much sunlight the tree is exposed to can also
be another factor to note.
Gravity also plays a large part in
the Shakan style, causing the trunk of the Bonsai tree
to be weaker in one direction than the other. To a
lesser degree, but still worth noting is the influence
of water and the pitch of the ground the tree is planted
in, all of which will have an impact on this Bonsai
technique.
The good news for any Bonsai
beginner or enthusiast is that all the differing
elements can be replicated by the Bonsai artist.
As with all Bonsai training, it's
highly advisable to begin with a Bonsai species that is
agreeable to the chosen style. Fortunately for the
Bonsai artist, almost all trees will produce a natural
slant to some degree or another. Therefore, being able
to replicate the Shakan Bonsai style is simply a matter
of training and commitment.
The Bonsai trunk, although angled
should be straight rather than curved. Of course, you
must do whatever is visually appealing to you, as with
all Bonsai art, there is rigid method to follow, but
there is much variation in these methods too. Bonsai,
although an extremely disciplined art form should always
allow the user to express their visualisation to the
maximum...
That said, proper Bonsai care
should be implemented in order to maintain the Bonsai
Trees sense of balance. Remember that with the Shakan
Bonsai style longer branches should be routed away from
the slant of the trunk, and lesser branches in the same
direction. Also important in creating a sense of
balance is to ensure longer roots are trained to point
away from the slant of the Bonsai trunk.
Within the Shakan style there are
several sub-styles, these include Dai-Shakan and
Chu-Shakan. Each sub-style refers to the route in which
the Bonsai branches are trained relative to the slant of
the Bonsai trunk. For example in the Chu-Shakan style
the branch is inverted back in the direction of the
Bonsai trunk. Whereas the Dai-Shakan style, by
immediate contrast, widens the branches to create a
greater distance from the trunk.
