Featured Article of the Month

    Aiseki Club Toyota, A Model Club to Emulate

    Aiseki Club Toyota, Highlights and Recent Exhibition

    By Thomas S. Elias

    Some viewing stone clubs thrive and expand over the years, while others slowly decline and fade away. The decline in the number of stone clubs in Asia and other countries is a concern. For example, the Aiseki magazine in Japan, which serves Suiseki clubs throughout the Country, has been tracking the number of clubs for several decades. Their survey showed 421 clubs in 1988, the highest number in the history of Japanese suiseki; 314 clubs in 2018; and 233 clubs in 2026. The loss of clubs has accelerated over the last three decades. This decline is also occurring in China and possibly in other countries, but accurate data are lacking. 


    This year, we will publish articles on some of the more successful clubs globally to identify their key features. We hope this serves as a guide for other existing clubs and for people considering organizing a new club devoted to stone appreciation.


    The first in the series is the Aiseki Club Toyota in Japan.


    The Aiseki Club Toyota, previously known as the Fujioka Aiseki Club, was established 30 years ago in the Fujioka area outside Toyota City, Japan. The club changed its name to the Aiseki Club Toyota in 2019. 


    This year, the club held a 30th-anniversary exhibition on April 4 and 5 at the Kirakutei a former traditional restaurant established in the late Meiji period and now used as an exhibition hall for Japanese-style events. The Kiratutei is located in Toyota City in Aichi Prefecture. Forty-eight suiseki were displayed, some in a tokonoma setting, and others along high and low tables.

    The Meiji era Kirakutei building in Toyota City. 



    The following are some of the suiseki displays displayed at their 30th-anniversary exhibition. Several awards are given to exhibitors, including special awards for children who display stones. The highest award, the Toyota Mayor’s Award, is given to the best stone on display.  

    Mr. Nishiyama Takashi (Tom) became the president of the Aiseki Club Toyota in 2014. He initiated and continues to be the driving force behind a worldwide effort to have suiseki and bonsai designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage within UNESCO’s World Heritage Program. Nishiyama opened the club to foreign membership and invited those members to participate in their exhibitions. He initiated an annual Small Stone Exhibition in 2019, focusing on stones less than 15 cm.

     

    Nishiyama retired in 2023, and Mr. Okumura Shigenori became the president of the Aiseki Toyota Club. Okumura expanded the innovation by creating a special area at their annual exhibition for stones from new members and for stones collected by children. He also established the first foreign chapter of the Aiseki Club Toyota. International relationships and activities are mutually beneficial to all participants, as they learn from and share information and experiences. There are now 14 overseas members.


    Mr. Sami Amdouni, president of the European chapter in France, stated, “Aiseki Toyota Club is not only a club, but it is also a family that goes beyond borders. Through its openness and commitment, it allows people from all over the world to learn, share, and keep the spirit of suiseki alive.”


    Here are the innovative activities that the Aiseki Toyota Club has implemented to become one of the most successful suiseki clubs in Japan: 

    - a sustained major effort to include women and children in all activities

    - established special programs and activities for children. The recent “Stone Painting by Kids,” where children enjoy painting stones, is one     example.

    - encourages foreign membership and foreign participation in club-sponsored exhibitions established a European chapter in France

    - adapting to a digital transformation and increased use of the Internet to promote traditional suiseki values


    The Aiseki Club Toyota serves as a model for other viewing stone clubs worldwide. Copying or adapting versions of these activities, along with the other innovations, helps ensure a club’s success while promoting and elevating the status of viewing stone appreciation.

    Article List by Category

    Stone Types from Around the World
    Chinese Wax Stones Malaysian Stone Appreciation Chinese Ying Stones, The Tiny Ones Japanese Sado Island Akadama Stones Viewing Stone(s) and Considering Art Is There a Role for the Playful Stones in Viewing Stone Appreciation?
    Malachite or Peacock Stones Chinese Food Stones (shiwu) Japanese Chrysanthemum Flower Stones Part 1 Japanese Ibi River Waterfall Stones The Beauty of Small Stones Korean Suseok, An Introduction
    China’s Vast Network of Stone Collectors Ink Lake Stones, Mohu shi, Japanese Chrysanthemum Flower Stones Part 2 Enny’s “Botero” Stones Viewing Stones of Southeastern Alaska Korean Flower Pattern Stones
    Chinese Chrysanthemum Stones (Juhuashi) Chinese Pan Gong Shi: Ancient and Beautiful Inscribed Stones-An Example Viewing Stones of the Lombardy Region of Italy The Iwasaki Family Numbered Stones
    Chinese Rain Flower Pebbles (Yuhua shi) Dali Marble from Yunnan China, Part 1 Japanese Furuya Stones Viewing Stones of Malaysia & Singapore Nail and Structure Stones: Viewing Stones or Building Materials?
    Chinese Kun Stones or Kunshan Stones Dali Marble from Yunnan China, Part 2 Contemporary Viewing Stones Displays The Concept of “Dongtian” in Chinese Stone Appreciation Yojuro and His Namesake Stones
    Taihu, The Famous Chinese Lake Tai Stone The Use of Coral as Viewing Stones in China Chinese Jiulong Bi (Nine Dragon River) Stones Chinese Rock Landscape Trays (Rock Penjing) Treasures of the Yuha Desert
    Petrified Wood in China Chinese Stone Museum of Wuhan Can Minerals be Viewing Stones? My Suyuan Shipu Stone The Ying Stones of Southeastern China
    Introducing Chinese Ying Stones Chinese Chrysanthemum Stones: True Permian Age Stones or Modern Imitations? The Ligurian Stones of Italy The Italian Metamorphic Marly Limestones: Polombino, Moresco, Jasperine and Nephritic Suiseki – The Art of Viewing Stone Appreciation in India
    The Stones of the Gobi Desert, Part 1 Chinese Grass Flower Stones Can Meteorites be Viewing Stones? Japanese Toki-ishi, Colorful Petrified Wood Korean Beach Stones or Sea Stones (Haeseok)
    The Stones of the Gobi Desert, Part 2 Viewing Stones of the Namhan River, Korea The Kamuikotan Stones of Hokkaido Abstract Stones, Understanding and Appreciating, Part I A Gift of a Lifetime: Kemin Hu’s Donation to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum.
    Korean Suseok A Wonderful Old Bonsan Japanese Earth Stones Turtle and Turtle Shell Stones Can Fossils be Viewing Stones?
    History People People Exhibitions Art & Aesthetics Art & Aesthetics Practices & Methods
    A Trip to Lingbi County, China Conversation with a Stone Connoisseur A Novel Way to Appreciate a Landscape Stone China Kunming Pan Asian Stone Expo Criteria for Evaluating Stones, Part 1 Kobayashi Kunio to lead the Japanese School of Keido Alternates to Traditional Wood Bases
    Shilin Pinnacle Karst National Park Shanghai Contemporary Bases for Viewing Stones The Shanghai Hu Tai Road Stone Market and The Shanghai Viewing Stone Association Elements of Success-The Sixth Japanese Suiseki Exhibition Criteria for Evaluating Stones, Part 2 Bases and the Oldness Concept in Stone Displays Collecting Stones in Northern California
    Stone Appreciation in Italy and the AIAS Yoshida Bonseki, Hokkaido’s Premier Stone Collector Cultivating Viewing Stone Appreciation: Bonsai Winnipeg’s Evolution Reshaping, An Exhibition of Stone Art How Philosophy and Folklore Have Influenced Wood Base Styles. Suisekido and the Genko-kai Exhibit The Importance of Storage Boxes (Kiribako) and Box Writing (Hakogaki) in Viewing Stone Appreciation
    Stone Appreciation in the U.S. China Kunming Pan Asian Stone Expo My Collection: What to Do with It? Scholars’ Rocks, Itineraries of Chinese Art Modern Display Spaces-Post Tokonoma A Novel Way to Appreciate a Landscape Stone The Role of the Wood Base in Stone Appreciation
    Suiseki in Australia Stones in Art Aiseki Club Toyota, A Model Club to Emulate Seventh Hokkaido Suiseki Federation Exhibition Orienting Stones for Display We Move Stones So that They Can Move Us Worked versus Unworked Stones
    The Alashan Stone Museum and Festival A Modern Concept in Chinese Stone Display Evolution of Tray Landscapes in Early 19th Century Japan Based Upon the Senkeiban, Senkeiban Zushiki and the Tokaido Gojusan-eki Edyu, Hachiyama. Stones at the 2018 Combined European Conventions Stones in Art Going beyond the form to appreciate classical Chinese scholars rocks
 Shanghai Contemporary Bases for Viewing Stones
    Viewing Stones of the Philippines Washington State Viewing Stone Enthusiasts The Value of a Stone: Its Features or the Story? The XXI National AIAS Congress 2018, Florence, Italy Stones in Poetry, a Long Tradition Continued Alternate Bases for Your Stones Modern Display Spaces-Post Tokonoma
    Washington State Viewing Stone Enthusiasts The 5th Japan Suiseki Exhibition Ten Views of a Lingbi Stone, a Major art Exhibition What is a Viewing Stone? The Unspoken Role of Oils and Waxes in Viewing Stone Appreciation My Suyuan Shipu Stone
    The Tonglushan Copper Mine in China Yoshida Bonseki, Hokkaido’s Premier Stone Collector The Combined 38th All Japan Aiseki Association National Exhibition and the 2018 Hokkaido Suiseki Federation Exhibition Scholars’ Rocks, Itineraries of Chinese Art In Praise of Watering Stones Harada Kazuya, Japan’s Master Daiza Carver
    Viewing Stones in Taiwan Elements of Success-The Sixth Japanese Suiseki Exhibition A Japanese Shohin Suiseki Exhibition A Modern Concept in Chinese Stone Display The Value of a Stone: Its Features or the Story? The Use of Spalted Wood Panels in Small Stone Displays
    Introducing Indonesian Stones Stones in Poetry, a Long Tradition Continued The 5th Japan Suiseki Exhibition Shanghai Contemporary Bases for Viewing Stones The Role of Accompanying Objects in Viewing Stone Appreciation
    Introduction to Japanese Suiseki Seventh Hokkaido Suiseki Federation Exhibition The Use of Spalted Wood Panels in Small Stone Displays Evidence of the Use of Chinese Stones in Japan during the Meiji (1866-1925) Role of Trays in Viewing Stone Displays, Part 1
    Chinese Scholar’s Rocks-Lessons from a Major Auction. Reshaping, An Exhibition of Stone Art Small Stones, Worlds Apart The Katayama School of Keido The Role of Trays in Viewing Stone Displays, Part 2
    Evidence of the Use of Chinese Stones in Japan during the Meiji (1866-1925) Enhancing the Stone: The Chinese Tradition Part I Learning from Exhibitions: The 46th National All Japan Aiseki Exhibition The Role of the Wood Base in Stone Appreciation Options in Displaying Boat Shape Stones
    Italian Stone Exhibition, Implications from the 2016 Exhibition Enhancing the Stone: The Chinese Tradition Part II Sparking Minerals and Poetic Stones The Concept of Linglong in Chinese Stone Appreciation The Role of Lichens in a Natural Viewing Stone
    Native South Korean Stones Ten Views of a Lingbi Stone, a Major art Exhibition Suisekido and the Genko-kai Exhibit Viewing Stone(s) and Considering Art Yojuro and His Namesake Stones
    Japanese Chrysanthemum Flower Stones Part 2 The XXI National AIAS Congress 2018, Florence, Italy The Shanghai Hu Tai Road Stone Market and The Shanghai Viewing Stone Association A Lesson in Viewing Stone Connoisseurship Treasures of the Yuha Desert
    Viewing Stones in Indonesia A Japanese Shohin Suiseki Exhibition Cultivating Viewing Stone Appreciation: Bonsai Winnipeg’s Evolution The Beauty of Small Stones Provenance, Documentation & Attribution
    The Murata Family’s Contribution to the Development of Japanese Suiseki A Lesson in Viewing Stone Connoisseurship Stones of the 43rd Taikanten, Kyoto, Japan, 2023 Patina in Viewing Stone Appreciation Learning Viewing Stone Appreciation Practices: Copy First, Then Adapt
    The Iwasaki Family Numbered Stones Viewing Stones of Southeastern Alaska All Japan Aiseki Association’s 16th Kansai Exhibition The Role of Shape and Form in Viewing Stone Appreciation Stone + Context = Art
    Suiseki – The Art of Viewing Stone Appreciation in India The Murata Family’s Contribution to the Development of Japanese Suiseki The Exhibition of Japanese Suiseki Masterpieces—The Meihinten The Role of Accompanying Objects in Viewing Stone Appreciation Bases and the Oldness Concept in Stone Displays
    A Gift of a Lifetime: Kemin Hu’s Donation to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. Small Stones, Worlds Apart Aiseki Club Toyota, A Model Club to Emulate Role of Trays in Viewing Stone Displays, Part 1 A Novel Way to Appreciate a Landscape Stone
    What Makes a Stone Exceptional? A Look at a Special Stone The Iwasaki Family Numbered Stones Impressions of the 62nd Meihinten (Japanese Suiseki Masterpieces) The Role of Trays in Viewing Stone Displays, Part 2. My Collection: What to Do with It?
    Viewing Stone Classification Systems: Pros and Cons Who Carved my Base? A Guide to Base Carvers 2025 Aiseiki Club Toyota Exhibition What is Biseki? A Wonderful Old Bonsan
    Korean Suseok, An Introduction Suiseki – The Art of Viewing Stone Appreciation in India The 43rd National Suseok Exhibition The Role of Lichens in a Natural Viewing Stone Going beyond the form to appreciate classical Chinese scholars rocks

    Evolution of Tray Landscapes in Early 19th Century Japan Based Upon the Senkeiban, Senkeiban Zushiki and the Tokaido Gojusan-eki Edyu, Hachiyama. Kobayashi Kunio to lead the Japanese School of Keido Korean Suseok Museums The Kiyosumi Garden, Tokyo Viewing Stone Classification Systems: Pros and Cons
    Learning from Exhibitions: The 46th National All Japan Aiseki Exhibition Stone and Scene: A Unique Exhibition Where Stones and Art Meet Stone + Context = Art Buying Viewing Stones on the Internet
    What Makes a Stone Exceptional? A Look at a Special Stone Aiseki Club Toyota Abstract Stones, Understanding and Appreciating, Part 1 In Praise of Watering Stones
    Suisekido and the Genko-kai Exhibit Abstract Stones, Understanding and Appreciating, Part II