Very few of them are not recommended for container growing. But you have to take care of them as they get older. You have to put them in larger containers or they get root bound.

It isn't a true Japanese maple if a bird can't fly through it. It's important to keep them open and airy. Some (varieties) require more pruning than others. Some are nicer if left as mounds of leaves, looking more like shrubs.

They also have to be grafted and pruned. That makes them more expensive. If you want to save money on Japanese maples, get whips (seedlings) and grow them out.

When young they have to be babied and cared for and that runs up the cost.

Thousands upon thousands of recommended sites came in, but once you do the site surveys, those sites are not suitable.

It's not the 1950s but rather a return to the 19th century,