“Tokimigusa” is a Japanese word for pine trees. It also represents longevity and immortality, born from the phrase “to see time,” expressing its enduring nature.
The designer of this “Air Force 1” model is Bruce Kilgore. The model name originates from the U.S. presidential aircraft, “Air Force One.”It was the first model to incorporate Nike's “Air” cushioning into basketball shoes. As time passed and it gained popularity, particularly in Manhattan, the AF1 became known by the nickname ‘Uptowns’ in New York. Alongside the culture of “wearing them out and buying new ones,” it became a staple uniform of East Coast hip-hop. We focused on the background of this ephemeral consumption—wearing them out and buying new ones. Combining the pine tree's symbolism of longevity with the Air Force 1's cultural backdrop of “fleetingness,” this work expresses the contradictions humans face through bonsai art. It reflects how we yearn for eternity in life while simultaneously cherishing ephemeral beauty and fleeting emotions.