The word Bonsai can be divided into two parts.  On one side, "bon" means tray and the other "sai" means to grow.  So the translation of bonsai would be, "tree that grows in a tray."

According to the Japanese Bonsai Association, "It is a tree or a cultivated plant in a pot and, therefore, of a reduced size, but still able to completely express the beauty and volume of a tree growing in its natural element."

You must keep in mind that bonsai are not a house species.  They are outside plants but they can be adapted to house conditions. This miniature tree has its origins in China, where two forms of cultivating bonsai existed.  In the south of the country, they tried to simulate nature, so they only cultivated the species found on the mountain, only pruning and not wiring it.  In the north, on the other hand, they looked for harmonious shapes, even if they strayed from the original forms.

It is told that they were introduced into Japan through a Zen sect between the 10th and 13th centuries.  It was here that the more advanced techniques for molding the branches, trunks and roots were developed.  Finally, the introduction of the bonsai into Europe occurred at the universal exposition in Paris, celebrated in the year 1898, although the hobby did not expand until after World War II. 

The artistic effect of the bonsai depends on the measure of good use in the pruning, nipping and wiring, without neglecting the essentials such as watering and fertilization, etc.

Bonsai maintain their reduced form because the roots and the upper portion are cut periodically and continuously.  Also, bonsai live in a limited quantity of soil which also controls their growth.