Trim this 3D-printed bonsai tree by hand, just like a real one

Bonsai trees are cool. But Nendo is cooler. Pair the Japan-based design studio with a future-centric baby tree, and you've got something. As phone carrier Softbank launched its own crowdfunding site, amid a sea of products we've already heard about, the design firm's Creative Director Oki Sato took to the stage with something actually intriguing: a plastic bonsai tree that you can prune -- or even print a finished article.

The pitch remains pretty broad (and there's not even funding site for the project just yet), but it looks like you'd be able to choose your base -- see the selection above -- and it'll come with cross-knit network of plastic lattices. You can then trim to your Confucius heart's desires. Not so gifted at arbory? There will also be a companion app that allow you to digitally design the end result, which you can send to a 3D printer to get it made. Naturally, you could also replicate any beautiful creations other bonsai artists make. But that's not all that zen, now, is it?

Crucially, Nendo is a well-respected design office with a broad remit, including interior design, tech products and more -- which is probably why it looks so damn magical for a plastic tree. This is one of three ideas the company's announced for its Design of Things (DoT) platform -- this is what is tying into Softbank's crowdfunding site, Plus Style. Unfortunately, there's no concrete ideas of how much the bonsai concept will cost -- or when I'll be able to prune away at plastic. New crowdfunding site, same old problems.