A new tradition has taken root in the last several years and instead of having 1001 folded origami cranes hanging from a tree branch, the very carefully folded the cranes are beautifully glued into a custom design and framed.

        Everyone at our reception hoped to win our centerpieces and were impressed with how beautiful they were. We were also happy about how nice the tables looked! We are so glad we met you and shared your Fuku-Bonsai with our friends and family. Enclosed are some photos to show you how we displayed the plants and to show our appreciation of your generosity.

        We hope you, your family and the cultural center staff are well. Thank you again for helping to make our wedding a beautiful and memorable moment we will treasure always. 

        Love~     Neil and Shawn Hasegawa"

                         (Honolulu, Hawaii)

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        Neil and Shawn are a wonderful couple who took the effort to visit us, selected their plants, and cared for them until the wedding. They designed and had fired the containers which are personalized with names, date, and the Hasegawa family crest.  We are honored that they enjoyed and shared an aspect of bonsai as they begin married life as best friends.

       Hawaiian ohana principles require nurturing, guiding, and helping the children of our islands. We provide a discount and try to assist those who like the idea of bonsai as centerpieces which are presented to closest friends and family at the end of the wedding reception.

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        WOW! What a nice letter! I emailed back that night giving a summary of our efforts to develop the Premium Keiki Bonsai Workshop Package and other projects.  SURPRISE!   The next morning an email ended with:  "No need to reply to this e-mail. We are getting in the car now . . .  They were in North Kohala on the other side of the island and arrived in mid-morning!  We spent a wonderful day together and when it was time for them to leave, the stories were still going back and forth.

        I just wanted to say I am very pleased to see your website. I am also glad to see that you are still in business and doing so well after all these years. Many thanks for your fine, high quality products.

        Sincerely, Nancy L. Jacob

        Portland, Oregon

        (May 1, 2002 email)

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       Upon their return, they ordered some plants and in a rare coincidence, the Jacobs and other good customer ordered the same Custom Collection item!  The photo had been up for several months and the staff had just pruned it back heavily to upgrade it.  Although Nancy's email arrived an hour or two earlier, I suggested suggested to both customers that I'll pick two other plants and they both agreed. 

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        Needless to say,  Nancy's kind words had everyone's spirits soaring that day!  In writing to thank her and requesting permission to use her words and their photo on the website, I told her of another surprise visitor and she replied:  " Jane Nelson . . . and I used to do a lot of bonsai stuff together when I lived in Seattle. Great lady!!!"

 

        I look forward to their next visit!

        Our employees, who each received a gift of a desk-top tree from me thanked m and the company profusely for such lovely gifts. You should have seen the smiles all around!! Some employees took them home so they could take better care of the trees; several others sit proudly on desktops around the office.

        Barny and I also put together the two Keiki Bonsai Workshop kits, and they produced wonderful, very graceful dish plantings. I look forward to seeing these trees thrive.

        And, last but not least, the custom collection tree is simply exquisite. A treasure. We enjoy seeing it each and every day.

        You guys do great work.   Nancy"

         (June 19, 2002 email)

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       I've known Jane from well before I served a term as a director of the American Bonsai Society and served as their symposium headline in Michigan in 1984.  She was an early donor when we formed the non-profit Mid-Pacific Bonsai Foundation and we were soul-mates in the battle to try to shift and create a more popular organizational philosophy. 

        I've long since withdrawn from the battles but Jane continues.  She's served as president of the American Bonsai Society and teaches bonsai to a small group that meets at her studio and a few local organizations. Before dropping her off at the cruise boat, I shared with her a visit to an exceptionally impressive rainforest banyan totally festooned with aerial roots. 

        It was a delightful day and through her eyes, I gained appreciation for Tropical Bonsai!  The world of bonsai is very fortunate to have old-timers like Jane Nelson of Seattle!

      In the midst of an extremely hectic morning, old friend Jane Nelson of Seattle called from Hilo where her cruise boat had just docked. I gave her taxi driver instructions and I frantically made calls to cancel appointments and delegated work to others. 

        A short while later a taxi pulled up but it was the Paul & Bettie Chow and Phanchai & Youk Thie Intrachat, customers since 1995 and also both from Seattle, and also off the same cruise ship!  They were excited about taking Keiki Bonsai Workshops and they hurried through the viewing of the collection and awaited the arrival of a "very special guest instructor."

        Jane's taxi dropped her off a few minutes later and I had the pleasure of the Seattle couples and Jane to each other.  I led the workshop at first and soon Jane jumped in.   The Chows and Intrachats were treated to a very wide view of the philosophy of bonsai. They had cut a deal for the taxi to wait for them and they hurried off after the workshop and completing a very complimentary evaluation. 

        Jane later wrote:  "I enjoyed sitting in on your class and was impressed with the amount of knowledge you convey and the enthusiasm you create in your students."   Now that means a lot to me and really nice from a gal that has done so much for bonsai!

        But he's teaching me too as he insisted that if we hosted him, that he would bring the fixings and cook our dinner! He did and it was GREAT!

        Fuku-Bonsai is quietly signing up and training part-time independent representatives in every possible major city. Please send me an email if interested.