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Every year, landscaping experts from all over Japan
get together to compete in the Key Truck Garden Contest, a unique event
that has participants turning the beds of mini trucks into the most
impressive miniature gardens they can.l The results are nothing short of
awe-inspiring.
The Kei Truck, or “kei-tora”, is a small yet practical utility vehicle
invented in Japan, but used throughout Asia, primarily in construction
and agriculture. It’s been a part of Japanese culture for decades, and
people love it because it provides plenty of space and it’s easy to
maneuver on narrow streets. But once a year, Key trucks take center
stage as canvases for ingenious landscaping masterpieces, during the Key
Truck Garden Contest, a special event sponsored by the Japan Federation
of Landscape Contractors. As you can see in the photos below, these
mobile miniature gardens are something else!
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Landscaping artists taking part in the yearly Key truck gardening
contest arrive on site with unadorned trucks and have a few hours to
turn their cargo beds into impressive miniature ecosystems. There are
few limitations, so competitors often let their imagination run wild,
incorporating elements like aquariums, miniature waterfalls or even
functional lighting. A panel of judges rank the entries based on
criteria like planning, expression, design and execution.
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Traditional Japanese gardens are considered among the most beautiful in
the world, so it’s no wonder that many of the entries in the yearly Key
truck gardening contest often include classic elements like pebble
paths, bonsai, bamboo, moss beds or traditional sliding screen doors.
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Last year’s contest was held in April, but considering that the Covid-19
pandemic hasn’t spared Japan, the 2020 edition will most likely be
cancelled, or postponed at best.
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