The art of bonsai originated perhaps more than 2,000 years ago in China. Early Japanese aristocrats showed a fondness for bonsai and contributed greatly to the development of this art. Bonsai culture was first popular in the United States among Japanese-Americans on the West Coast. Many servicemen returning from Japan after World War II brought with them an enthusiasm for the art form, which is now practiced throughout the United States. The shape of bonsai can be used to group them into five basic styles: formal upright, informal upright, slanting, semi-cascade, and cascade.