The dead branches of a bonsai, called jin, and exposed wood, called shari, are characteristics associated with the driftwood style of bonsai. They evoke the harsh conditions trees in nature are exposed to at higher elevations. As a tree's bark is slowly worn away by the elements, its wood is bleached by the sun over hundreds of years.

A bonsai artist can recreate this driftwood effect much quicker than nature by removing bark from the trunk and branches with a sharp knife and applying a solution of lime sulphur to bleach the wood white. Lime sulphur is not exclusively used with bonsai. Typically it is diluted and used as a pesticide on dormant deciduous trees. However, in bonsai it is applied undiluted to the dead wood on conifers, once in the summer and again in the winter. The benefit of lime sulphur is twofold. First, it bleaches the wood giving the impression of great age. Second, it preserves and protects the dead wood from fungus and insects.  

When applying lime sulphur it is important to work in a well ventilated area and to wear safety goggles and rubber gloves.

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