The tree in Bunjin style (Bunjinga 文人画literati painting) has got no defined form. It is a freestyle, a symbol of spiritual freedom. It gets inspiration from the Taoist philosophy according to which one must live in perfect harmony with nature thus respecting the season flow and rejecting what is non-essential.

The main features of the Bunjin are essential, light foliage, light branches, the irregular trunk which tends to the sky to show a spiritual elevation.

Sometimes the tree is old, scarred by time to symbolize life as a fight to survive.