Category Archives: Reflections on Bonsai

Sweet Tea and Yamadori Here I Come!

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As I type this I’m surrounded by bonsai containers, scrolls, stands, tools, and about 200 pounds of books.  Time to jettison most of my clothing and other “non-essential” cargo and head back to America.  My Cultural Studies VISA ends a few days after the Taikan-ten and I’ll be back in America to teach for most of 2013.  Much like extra-terrestrials, I’ll be appearing in front of small groups of Southerners most of the time but sightings of me will occur all over America with international trips in the works.  My apprenticeship is far from over.

I’d like to thank everyone who has already confirmed study groups, private work, and exhibitions.  Winter and Spring so far is filling up with new airport codes and pit-stops.  My schedule still has openings for Spring and Summer and I’ll probably be close to you at some point.  Next year will be devoted to acquainting myself with the bonsai community, other professionals / vendors, and perhaps most important of all sharing everything I’ve learned thus-far as a horticulturalist and bonsai apprentice without reservation.

My heart belongs to Deciduous and Broad-leaf Evergreen bonsai and a few of the under-used conifers, but I love all plants
and have worked on at least 50 different species / cultivars of plant used for bonsai while at Kouka-en.  My interest in Asian plants precedes my pursuit of bonsai art and I’ve connected a lot of “dots” from normal horticultural practices and bonsai techniques used here in Japan.

 

Aside from bonsai, I’ll be teaching kusamono workshops and  helping clients with theirs’ as I’ve spent a number of years propagating and producing perennials and annuals at the commercial level.  The art of kusamono has sucked me in like a vortex and much of my oh-so-rare free time is spent studying both old and new forms.

Also sitting next to me is a stack of memory cards full of bonsai projects and day trip pics to cultural sites with stories behind all of them, so the blog will continue on.

There will also be coverage of work on Western hemisphere native species, bonsai community events, and other happenings all over America in the future.  I’d like to take a moment to support the efforts of the people and organizations I’ve added to my blogroll.  Consistent quality posts on the world of bonsai are not easy to come up with; let alone while committing you life to apprenticeship or a full-time job.  To all those who’ve contacted me with supportive messages, constructive criticism, and confirmed teaching stops, THANK YOU.  Apprenticeship is a mental marathon and your support does mean a lot.

I’d also like to thank my family, my sensei Keiichi Fujikawa, Bjorn Bjorholm, and my sempai Naoki Maeoka for all their help so far.  Couldn’t have gotten this far without them.

I’ve never been so happy or focused on my goals.  Hard not to smile when surrounded by so much beauty and quality bonsai.  I will miss Japan and the people who make up the bonsai community here during my time in America, but look forward to helping the other bonsai professionals in our efforts to raise quality standards and enjoyment levels in America.

 

Time to quit ducking as I enter doorways and guessing what I’m about to eat for a while!  Feel free to contact me through this blog, Facebook, or LinkedIn.  Sweet tea and yamadori here I come!

Thanks for reading, lots of posts to come after the Taikan-ten.  A gallery of Taikan-ten 2012 photos soon to come…..

 

 

Apprenticeship and a “Bonsai Japanese” Crash Course

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One cold winter day, an ignorant new apprentice conversed with his sensei.  ”Watashino hey wa sugoku samuei desu” said the apprentice.  The sensei hit the floor with laughter leaving the student confused.  Turns out, instead of saying “My hands are really cold!”, I said “My farts are really cold!”.  Tey is the word for hand…..  In this particular instance, I was entertaining and kept the mood light.  There have been other instances where it was not such a fun experience.  There is absolutely nothing worse about apprenticeship than when you need to communicate something to save your ass but you have no idea how.  A basic understanding of the Japanese language is important to survive in Japan.  Having worked with Spanish-speakers for 15 years, I knew the importance of at least making an effort to learn Japanese.  The native speakers definitely appreciate it.

As a side note to anyone considering becoming an apprentice, being an apprentice means you’re wrong in every situation.  Answering incorrectly, discourteously, or too slowly = Wrong.  Correcting your sensei when they are wrong = Wrong.  Answering correctly somehow also equals wrong, but in a sort of humbling sort of way.  You can’t appear proud or say “i already knew that” or “you’ve asked me / told me that 500 times”.  Best to say you understand and continue to work on swallowing your pride.  Apprenticeship is a multi-faceted challenge not just for your body, but in my opinion more for your mind.  I liken it to the residency of a doctor running on no sleep after three shifts, but having to be on point with his diagnosis of an obscure disease.  The situations are not so dire in bonsai, but when you are an apprentice in Japan, it can sometimes feel that way.  The actual work may not be always be the challenging part, but quickly learning all the nuances of styling or caring for a given tree and accounting for all this stuff can be very difficult.  When was it repotted?  Which technique needs to be applied and why?  My favorite learning experience is the on-the-spot analysis of a new bonsai.  You’ve seen the tree for maybe half a minute as you carry it to the benches and are accosted with very pointed questions like “Where is the best viewing point and trunk angle?” or “What style of container would be ideal for this bonsai?”.  Your answers must be fast and accurate; an excellent training tool.

This post will not be full of nice photos, but will certainly be useful to anyone traveling to Japan to see bonsai, working with a Japanese speaking teacher, or doing a short-term study / full-blown apprenticeship in Japan.  I would recommend learning the words you feel that suit your goals.  Shortly before leaving for Japan Bjorn Bjorholm was kind enough to write me list of bonsai terms and it was very helpful.  In that same spirit of “paying it forward”, I’ve written a list of my own for anyone who’s interested below.  Spelling will reflect how to say the words phonetically.  Any words that have an interesting history that may shed light on their meaning will be elaborated on.  This particular post will be updated with more photos and definitions as I remember or learn useful terms.  This would be considered a crash course in  ”Bonsai Japanese” and not something to start with if learning the language : ).  I recommend making flash cards as the language has no Latin heritage and it will be wrote memorization.  If anyone has vocabulary to add that relates to bonsai, please comment on this post.  My translations are not perfect in every case, but the general meaning or feeling is correct.  It is important to note that the order you use words in can change their meaning a great deal.  There’s also IN-TO-nation to consider, but that’s a rabbit hole I will not go down on a simple blog post.  If you don’t care about learning Japanese bonsai words, time to stop reading.

I’ve excluded common names on purpose as they can be confusing.  ”That’s a cedar”  Oh really?  : ).  Learn the Latin names of any species you train and better yet, find out what species are related to it.  Knowledge of any plant’s lineage can be helpful with it’s care.  I wanted to exclude common names, but oh well.  Feel free to read my list, but I recently received a link to this site: HERE  Thanks go to John Romano; a fellow fan of bunjinji bonsai www.kaikoubonsai.com  Below the plant names are other useful terms and vocabluary.

Japanese Plant Names / Latin Names:

  • Icho, Chi-chi  -  Gingko biloba  - Gingko
  • Ichii –  Taxus cuspidata  -  Japanese Yew
  • Karamatsu  -  Larix kaempferi  -  Japanese Larch
  • Tosho  -  Juniperus rigida  -  Needle Juniper
  • Tsugi  -  Cryptomeria japonica  -  Japanese Cedar or Cryptomeria
  • Kuromatsu – Pinus thunbergiii  -  Japanese Black Pine
  • Akamatsu  -  Pinus densiflora  -  Japanese Red Pine
  • Goyomatsu  -  Pinus parviflora  -  Japanese White Pine
  • Kaede – Acer burgerianum (Kaede comes from an evolution of the words “kaeru no te”, or “frog hand”).  -  Trident Maple
  • Momiji –  Acer palmatum  -  Japanese Maple or Mountain Maple
  • Gyo-ryu  -  Tamarix chinensis  -  Tamarix
  • Chirimen kazura  -  Trachelospermum asiaticum var. Nana  -  Dwarf Star Jasmine
  • Tekka kazura  -  Trachelospermum asiaticum  -  Star Jasmine
  • Egonoki  -  Styrax japonica  -  Snowbell /  Styrax
  • Shimpaku  -  Juniperus chinensis var. Sargentii (oddly enough, this is a bonsai only term)  -  Shimpaku Juniper
  • Binan kazura  -  Kadsura japonica (bi means “beautiful”, nan means “man”, and kazura means “climber” referring to the use of this vine’s sap to slick back the hair of samurai during the Edo Period)  -  Katsura Vine
  • Suikazura  -  Lonicera japonica  -  Japanese Honeysuckle
  • Konara  -  Quercus serrata  -  Not sure
  • Kobushi  -  Magnolia kobus  -  Kobus Magnolia
  • Kuchinashi  -  Gardenia jasminoides  -  Gardenia
  • Murasaki shikibu  -  Callicarpa japonica (Named after Lady Murasaki, the author of The Tale of Genji)  -  Beautyberry
  • Ezomatsu  -  Picea glehnii  (Picea jezoensis is also called Ezomatsu)  Both are from Hokkaido and the surrounding small islands.  -  Ezo Spruce
  • Hinoki  -  Chamaecyparis obtusa  -  Hinoki False Cypress
  • Gamazumi  -  Viburnum dilatatum  -  Arrowwood Viburnum
  • Piracan  -  Pyracantha  -  Pyracantha / Firethorn
  • Nishikigi  -  Euonymus alatus  -  Winged Euonymus /  Burning Bush
  • Mayumi  -  Euonymus hamiltonianus subsp. sieboldianus (I had to look this one up)  -  Spindle Bush?  /  Siebold’s Spindle?
  • Buna  -  Fagus japonica  -  Japanese Beech
  • Ume  -  Prunus mume  -  Japanese Flowering Apricot (even though it’s from China and elsewhere)
  • Yamazakura, Sakura –  Prunus jamasakura  -  Mountain Cherry
  • Chochubai  -  Chaenomeles japonica ‘Chochubai’  -  Chochubai Quince
  • Omoto  -  Rohdea japonica  -   Sacred Nippon Lily
  • Schotssuba  -  Pyrossia spp.  -  Pyrossia
  • Gumi  -  Eleagnus spp.  (kind of a bulk name; there are a number of species and cultivars)  -  Eleagnus / Silverberry
  • Tsuge  -  Buxus microphylla  -  Littleleaf Boxwood
  • Chosen Tsuge  -  Buxus sinica var. insularis  -  Korean Boxwood
  • Niyoi Kaede  -  Premna japonica (name means smelly / stinky maple)  -  Stinky Maple / Premna
  • Haze  -  Rhus spp.  (another bulk category for the genus)  -  Sumac
  • Karin  -  Pseudocydonia sinensis  -  Chinese Flowering Quince
  • Boke  -  Chaenomeles japonica  -  Flowering Quince
  • Sanzashi  -  Crataegus spp.  (seeing a pattern here?)  -  Hawthorne
  • Mizuki  -  Cornus kousa  -  Kousa Dogwood
  • Hanamizuki  -  Cornus florida  -  American Dogwood
  • Tosamizuki  -  Corylopsis spicata (and possible C. pauciflora too)  -  Spike Winterhazel and Buttercup Winterhazel respectively
  • Sonare  -  Juniperus procumbens  -  Procumbens Juniper
  • Sawara  -  Chamaecyparis pisifera  -  Sawara Cypress
  • Tsuta  -  Parthenocissus tricuspidata  -  Boston Ivy
  • America no Tsuta  -  Parthenocissus quinquefolia  -  Virginia Creeper
Here are some descriptive terms for plants:
Zouki  -  Deciduous trees (also kind of gray for stuff like Eleagnus and other broadleaf evergreens)
Shouhaku  -  Conifers
Arakawa  -  Literally means  ”Rough Bark”
Ara-ki  -  From the words Arai (rough) and Ki (tree)  referring to rough stock that is not a bonsai yet.
Nishiki  -  Means “brocade” and used to describe variegation of leaves or corky bark.  I’ve found some names with nishiki that had neither so a matter worth investigating.
Isai  -  Flowers when very young
Hime  -  Small or Dwarf;  generally referring to the whole plant
Ko  -  Small or Dwarf;  generally referring to a certain aspect like flowers and / leaves
Yabu  -  of the forest or “wild” (for example, Yabai refers to wild Prunus mume)
Yama  -  of the mountains
Chosen no  -  Korean (North)
Chugoku no  - Chinese
Yatsubusa  -  selection that forms many buds
Fu-ii-rdi  -  Variegation
Sashiki  -  Rooted cutting
Toriki  -  Air layer
Plant Anatomy:
Happa, Hasho, Ha  -  Leaf / Leaves
Kawa  -  Bark
Ne  -  Root
Nebari  -  Root spread
Hana  -  Flower
Eda  -  Branch
Mi  -  Fruit
Jiku  -  section of shoot between main branch and foliage?
Doughbuki  -  Inner Buds
Atama  -  Head (apex)
Jin  -  dead branch (that you wanted to use in the design)
Shari  -  dead section of trunk or main branch
Ki  -  Tree
Shokubutsu  - plant
Kareru  -  verb for “die” (referring to plants and branches)
Tachi agari  -  rising or movement of trunk above root base
Decriptive Terms:
Nagare  -  Movement (as in dominant feeling of direction)
Kangi  -  Feeling  (“This tree feels heavy, myterious, etc)
Eee  -  Good
Waruii  -  Bad
Hosoi  -  Thin
Futoi  -  Thick / Fat
Hiroi  -  Wide
Nagai – Long
Mijikai  - Short
Sugoku  -  really _____ (really heavy, really strange,etc.)
Mezurashi  -  rare
abunai  -  dangerous
______-sugi  -  too  ____ (For example, nagasugi means “too long”)
Bonsai Garden Terms / Tools and Products:
Jimusho  -  Office
Ocha no heya  -  Tea Room
Shigotoba  -  Work Room
Tenjijo  -  Storage Room
Hausu  -  Greenhouse
Tana  -  Bench
Tabeluga  -  Table
Isu  -  Chair
Kaitendai  -  turntable (for working on bonsai and display)
Tsunoko  -  Bamboo shoot mat used for display
Jiita  -  Burl wood slab
Shoku – Stand (for bonsai or other display)
Shoku-no-hako  -  Wooden box for display stand (you just learned the word box too….)
Hoki  -  Broom (this one is super important)
Takeboki  -  Bamboo broom
Komi  -  Dustpan
Pinsetto  -  Tweezers
Hashi  -  Chop Stick
Yattoko  -  Pliers (like Jin Pliers)
Hasami –  Scissors
Harigane Kiri  -  Wire Cutters
Mata Eda, Eda Kiri  -  Concave Cutter
Hamma –  Hammer
Tawashi  -  Scrub brush
Zokin  -  rag
Dasukin  -  dust rag
Yogozai  -  Lime Sulphur
Tsubaki abura  -  Camellia oil
Pests and Diseases:
Mushi  -  Insect
Ari  -  Ant
Abura mushi  -  Aphid
Dango mushi –  Roly Poly
Namekuji  -  Slug
Kamekiri mushi  -  Asian Long-horned Beetle
(be really sure before you tell someone you’ve seen this one.  Kill first, ask questions later)
Kaigara mushi  -  Armored Scale
Danii  -  Mites (kind of a catch-all)
A few words you will definitely need to know:
Sumimasen  -  I’m sorry, excuse me, or just what you say if you do anything as an apprentice : ).  You probably did something wrong recently….. This word can be used in many situations from prefacing a question to entering a private residence.
Hai  -  Yes
Baka  -  Dumbass
Wakarimash-ta  -  I understand.  This one is super important.  Saying this signifies you are listening and can be held accountable for the order or request given.
Wakarimasen  -  I do not understand.  Try not to say this too much ; ).  This phrase was uttered many times my first few months here shortly followed by a facial expression full of confusion, fear, frustration, and embarrassment.
In the morning, other people arrive.  You say:  O-high-o Go-zai-mass
Thank you =  A-ree-gatoo Go-zai-mass
@ the end of the day You say:  Shit-sureE-shi-mass (means “I disappear”).  If you want to get really snazzy you say “Osaki-ni Shit-sureE-shi-mas” (means “I disappear before you do”) which boils down to they are staying at work later than you and that is admirable.
Sometimes, a person will come back from being away and say:  Tah-daie-mah.  This means “I’m back”.  You are supposed to say:  Oh-kah-ee-ree-nah-sai.
That will be a good starting point.  Again, don’t be shy with the terms.  I’ll continue to update the list.
Thanks for reading.

Use of Native Plants for Bonsai and Kusamono

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As an unabashed plant nerd, I love everything from bioluminescent algae all the way to Sequoiadendron gigantium.   Due to an interest in the unusual and more rare species of plants not indigenous to my part of the United States of America, I set out to learn about as many as possible.  When something really cool turned up, it was time to get one; hence an interest in plant propagation.  Yes, I was one of the bonsai people who had about 600 plants of species suitable for bonsai but had no idea how to make them into something worthwhile at one point.  Moving was always epic.  Our fascination with the exotic and unusual is likely one reason we gravitate to bonsai; or to be more specific, the plants used for bonsai art in Japan.

Should we use Japanese and other Asian species for bonsai?  The short answer is yes.  If that is what makes you happy.  There is something wonderful about having access to multiple generations-worth of experience working with a given species and living examples of ancient ones that have flourished as bonsai.  What I almost never hear anyone say is The Japanese use their native plants!  I am not a native fundamentalist at all.  I mean, this is being written in Japan and the only native plant close by is a Parthenocissus quinquefolia

grafted onto P. tricuspidata.  So why you may ask, am I in Japan?  Quite frankly, I did not relish the idea of learning a new language from scratch and subjugating myself.  But, it’s worth it.

One of the many reasons bonsai in Japan are so excellent is the intimate knowledge of the growth habits and physiological responses of their trees.  Prunus mume for example, has a physiological window in late Spring where buds differentiate between flower and leaves for next year.  How do we know this?  Through a massive amount of trial and error, experimentation, and observation of their native trees and shrubs.  We use Japanese species for bonsai to some extent because a lot of the work has been done for us.  Japan was the best possible choice in my mind to study as this is where the artform as most know it originated.  China and Korea were “first” on the scene, but if you call it bonsai, it came from Japan originally.  A number of speices here, including Prunus mume, came from the mainland.  Where do you go to learn how to make Italian food?  Italy.  Where do you learn study French Impressionists?  Guess.

If anyone can direct me to a Prunus mume that looks like this in America, I'll come home ; )

It is only logical to go to the source to learn the classical styles, cultural / historical background, and influences from nature that made Japanese bonsai what it is today before setting out on my own path towards artistic expression.  If you do not have a solid foundation to work from, I feel you’re spinning your wheels.  You don’t have to study bonsai in Japan to be good; it certainly doesn’t hurt though.  In some ways, being here could even be limiting I suppose, but only if I back myself into a psychological corner.

One motive I did not mention in my first post (Bonsai?  Why?) about why I am in Japan is this:  in order for me to better understand the native plants I intend to use and promote the use of in America, I need to learn the tricks of the trade here.  My personal collection of bonsai in America is about half natives and half exotics.  Native plant collection for bonsai is already alive and well internationally.  People like Randy Knight are pushing the limits horticulturally and the results are well worth it.  Every new insight into how to coax the best out of our natives will get us closer to knowing them like the Japanese know theirs’.

The notion of a style distinctly American, European, South African, etc to me means using native plants. Or for example, at a minimum using something like a Buxus to make a bonsai reminiscent of a Quercus virginiana if you are doing an American style bonsai.  Since I’ve opened this door I feel that native companion plants could not hurt either.  Not naming names, there are others who feel the same as I do about  the concept that art should not be a Xerox copy of what you see in a book from Japan.  I will always create and style bonsai made from Japanese plants, but thinking outside the box and making something new keeps life interesting.  My dream is to one day have an intimate working knowledge of American native plants.  Then, we can push the limits of artistic expression further as has been done in Japan.

Your homework, as if I could assign it : ), is to find a native tree, shrub, or perennial not commonly used for bonsai yet and do some experimenting.  I am not advocating collection of anything threatened.  Comment if you are working with natives from your area and would like that information to be spread.

Thanks for reading.  I’ll leave you with two photos I just felt like sharing from Saisho-in, Kyoto…..

A black pine / crepe myrtle fusion!!!!

 

Bet it sounds even cooler in Japanese.......

Bonsai? Why?

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Bonsai? Why?

FEATURED
I have been reluctant to write a blog up until now as you need to have something novel, or at least somewhat interesting to say.  I have built up enough experiences and mastered “Hidden Crane Sweeping Technique”, so it’s time to share what has happened thus far and update when I have something worth saying.  My first year and a half here at Kouka-en in Osaka, Japan has been a humbling one.  Following time-tested and well executed training techniques on a wide variety of species has opened my eyes to what is possible for bonsai improvement and how to do it.  That and learning a new language to accomplish tasks in an environment where mistakes are not acceptable has a profound effect on you.  The top of my head has a permanent bruise;  Fujikawa-san is skilled at not leaving marks from years of practice so I must blame the low doorways I suppose….

There are a number of excellent blogs related to the art of bonsai, so I will try not to overlap topics covered by other apprentices currently in Japan (Peter Tea, Matt Reel, Tyler Sherrod, etc.) or other professionals actively posting (Michael Hagerdorn, Peter Warren, etc).   The YouTube series “Bonsai Art of Japan” is a project I work very hard on with the creator and wonderfully talented producer Bjorn Bjorholm.  I’m sure the series will be referenced often so if you haven’t seen any of the now 25 some-odd episodes, start watching : ).  Future posts will include horticultural tricks, styling pointers, etc.  The subject of my first post will be on why we train bonsai:

The question of “why” I train bonsai let alone dropped everything (career, relationship, truck, etc) and moved to Japan has crossed the lips of many family members, friends, and acquaintances.  Oddly enough, Japanese people seem more surprised than Westerners when I tell them what I do.  We all get asked the question eventually I suppose.  My motives for becoming an apprenctice were very simple.  First, I would be able to follow a passion for the art and potentially make a living doing it.  Second, I’d be able to teach others about the art so their level of appreciation and enjoyment would rise.  Third, I’d get to live in Kansai Prefecture close to all the gardens and natural scenic beauty of Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka.  This motive really has had a profound influence on my understanding and styling of bonsai as experiencing ancient specimens of the species we covet for bonsai outside of Japan really helps understand their habits in old age.  Last but not least, training bonsai is an extension of my previous career in the world of horticulture.  I’ve always enjoyed the sense of accomplishment and tangible results associated with seeing plants recover, germinating seeds, and so on.   Bonsai is on a whole different level as the process is longer and the results all the more fulfilling.

When just getting into bonsai while at The University of Georgia, a friend posed the “why” question.  On the surface, I suppose bonsai is an odd addiction…. (ahem) I mean hobby.  I asked him “Why do you play golf?”.  He reflected for a moment and let it go.  I feel there are a few similarities between the two activities that may help others defend their passion for bonsai.  For example, slicing into the woods repeatedly all day then hitting a fluid drive onto the green just once makes a whole day of effort and cursing melt away.  Countless hours butchering defenseless trees as you cut your teeth on this art form all become validated when you get your first honest compliment on a well-trained tree.   Purchasing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars worth of equipement for golf does not make you better.   The same goes for bonsai, although buying stuff for both does make it easier at times.  What is it about bonsai that causes people to ask us to defend our hobby?

A fellow blogger, Bonsai Eejit, has the coolest and most profound logos I’ve ever seen.  Being “chained” to our bonsai is a choice we make.  Are we all masochists I wonder?  How many hours a week do you spend thinking about or caring for your trees?  Few other hobbies require the logistical acumen we bonsai people have to care for our little ones while away from home.  Yesterday, I went with Fujikawa-san to evaluate and possibly purchase a collection of bonsai and pots.  The collector was no longer capable of caring for the trees and his wife was responsible for watering.  She lasted about two months apparently before placing a call to us.   Many of the trees were at various stages of wilting or death.  She was so excited to see us : ).   The point is you have to love bonsai deep down or you’ll never make it past the 1 gallon garden center juniper massacres.  These questions are posed not to dissuade you from doing bonsai, but to commend you for all the effort. Whatever your motivations are, they are valid.  People really into bonsai have found an outlet for their creative expression and that is what matters.  It’s easy to get caught up in all crap we have to deal with in our lives, but that short break from the grind we receive when appreciating our trees makes it all worth it.