And finally… money does grow on trees
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A couple whose bonsai trees were stolen – including a prized specimen worth more than $127,000 – took to social media to give the thieves instructions on how to care for them.
The miniature trees, one of which is 400 years old, were plucked from the home of a couple in Tokyo who are hopeful that their “tree babies” will be returned.
The 400-year-old Shimpaku Juniper bonsai was described by Fuyumi Iimura, the wife of bonsai master Seiji Iimura, as her “child”.
She wrote: “The bonsai [I] raised like my child … are you giving [it] water properly?
“I’m so sad.”
She added: “I would like to raise a bonsai that I will be able to compliment … again.”
The theft comes amid worries in Japan that the art of bonsai could die out within three decades unless young people take it up.
CNN reports that the prized Shimpaku tree, which is worth $127,700, was due to appear in a competition this month.
Mr Iimura comes from a family of bonsai masters whose practice dates back to 1603.
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