-
- PREMIER ISSUE OCTOBER 15, 2001
-
- By David W. Fukumoto
-
Founder & president
-
Fuku-Bonsai Inc.
-
 - Ted T. Tsukiyama, past president
- and co-founder Hawaii Bonsai
- Association, past director and
- editorial board Bonsai Clubs,
- International, legal counsel and
- editor World Bonsai Friendship
- Federation, past treasure and
- director and officer emeritus
- Fuku-Bonsai Inc., etc., etc.!
-
|
ENTERING
A NEW BONSAI ERA!
ALOHA!
The events of September 11, 2001 will change our lives as much as the December 7,
1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. I was less than two years old but still recall a
falling anti-aircraft round blowing up the house across the street. As Hawaii
mobilized for war, Americans of Japanese Ancestry volunteered and proved their
loyalty in World War II by their heroism and by shedding rivers of blood.
In
Japan, Saburo Kato also suffered but after the war, he gained the support and
friendship of Haruo "Papa" Kaneshiro, Ted Tsukiyama, and the Hawaiian bonsai
community and we became staunch allies towards building bonsai as a bridge to
international friendship and peace. Hong Kong's Yee-sun Wu made an impressive individual
effort to introduce Chinese penjing. John Naka became an international bonsai
teacher and ambassador. It was a special unselfish, generation.
Recently, Ted T. Tsukiyama was presented the Order of the Rising Sun with Silver Rays, a
Japanese government imperial decoration for his efforts to build goodwill between Japan
and the United States, to establish the World Bonsai Friendship Federation, and to improve
the Japanese-American community. He was filled with emotion as he received the award from
his former enemy and it strengthened his conviction that bonsai truly can be a vehicle for
friendships and peace.
Tsukiyama, Kaneshiro, Wu, Naka and Kato are the five who most influenced me. Papa passed
away and Tsukiyama, Wu, Naka, and Kato are passing the torch. Fuku-Bonsai was created to
become a perpetual vehicle to host the Hawaii State Bonsai Repository and to support their
mission. As we emerge as a leader for the next generation, there are some very
promising American bonsai leaders on the horizon. |
 |
DONNA BANTING, editor of BCI's Bonsai Magazine, succeeded Jean Smith
as Bonsai Clubs International became a truly international organization. These two ladies
provided balanced reporting of the achievements of the master technicians, introduced
lesser known bonsai regions and traditions, and reported on the emerging world of
international bonsai. In support, we submitted numerous articles that have been published
with the latest titled: "Plunging Penjing!" in the September-October 2001
issue. Another major article is being completed for submittal soon. Find out
more by visiting www.bonsai-bci.com |
-
 - For more
information, go to
- www.fukubonsai.com/5a3b.html
- and www.bonsai-nbf.org
|
FELIX LAUGHLIN, the president of National Bonsai Foundation, will be
succeeding Saburo Kato as the chairman of the World Bonsai Friendship Federation and John
Naka as president of the North American Bonsai Federation. He has the awesome
challenge of providing the leadership to refine the workings of an international and a
regional bonsai organizations and to host the World Bonsai Convention to be held in
Washington, D.C. four years from now. National Bonsai Foundation has translated and
published Saburo Kato's Forest, Rock Planting & Ezo Spruce Bonsai book that was
initially published in Japanese in 1963. I highly recommended it as a gift for any bonsai
lover. |
- The Bonsai Enthusiast -
- Online Journal will help
- you develop a deeper
- appreciation for all forms
- and all aspects of
- bonsai.
-
|
ANDY RUTLEDGE is merging bonsai magazine publishing with Internet technology.
He's committed, highly competent, and encourages bonsai professionals to share their
knowledge as we build an international infrastructure to support greater bonsai interest.
His first two issues were impressive, especially his straight-forward editorial positions.
Andy advocates a pursuit of excellence while also celebrating the quiet values of bonsai
as art, craft and hobby. He encourages all forms of bonsai and this is the type of person
that must be supported! I will write a "Fuku-Bonsai Corner" quarterly
column beginning with the next issue scheduled to go online on October 15, 2001. The
Bonsai Enthusiast - Online Journal is currently free and posted at www.bonsaienthusiast.com The Internet allows
sharing information at a very low cost. But to produce outstanding content,
appropriate photographs or sketches, and to put together a highly readable package, it is
still costly in terms of time, commitment, and expertise. There is a solid fit between
Andy's efforts and philosophy and Fuku-Bonsai's. |
-
 - Collecting ficus
epiphytic
- bonsai stock at the September
- Bonsai Day
|
MICHAEL IMAINO is emerging as a
bonsai master in his own right. He has been with Fuku-Bonsai since 1983 and has
acquired and accumulated diverse talents in construction and carpentry, project and
personnel management, nursery production, and training and maintaining bonsai. Michael is
the senior plant manager, Fuku-Bonsai director, bonsai collection curator, and president
of the non-profit IRS tax-exempt Mid-Pacific Bonsai Foundation. He's handling more
authority and responsibility and is training choice stock that will one day go into the
exhibit collection. |
-
 - The new
27"x22" oval Custom
- Collection tray with turntable
- and display stand.
-
 - Fuku-Daruma will be
teach the
- most successful bonsai workshops!
-
 - LEARNING FROM NATURE!
-
 - THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII!
-
|
www.FUKUBONSAI.COM is enroute to becoming the most comprehensive tropical
bonsai and True Indoor Bonsai™ website. The site summary shows that there are
137 titles that would print out to over 250 pages! The website is a work in progress and
educational material will be continually added. Only about 15 titles have not been
modified in the past three months! New material is being buried in the enlarging
website and this newsletter will provide a linked listing of new material and timely
editorial commentary on bonsai matters. For this premier issue, we summarize and point out
major additions or changes as a detailed linked listing will include most of the
Fuku-Bonsai home page.
SECTION I. TRUE INDOOR BONSAI MAIL-ORDER. Mail-order items are at
the start of the website, we supply wholesale quantities and accept credit cards via
PayPal. Our current Gift List & Price
Sheet. The most significant educational article is titled: Successful Bonsai Training. To get an
idea of how well Fuku-Bonsai has recovered, view some of our oldest plants and the new
turntable container and display tray in Custom
Collection.
SECTION II: ABOUT FUKU-BONSAI & "FUKU-BONSAI.COM". The photo tour has drawn compliments. In May
2001 we issued a press release
about our new workshop package and a month later, a highly complimentary Honolulu Advertiser article was published.
SECTION
III: AN EVOLUTION TO TRUE INDOOR BONSAI. Much of the world believes
"bonsai" are only outdoor temperate climate trees in the Japanese manner.
Four articles beginning with Aristocratic
Chinese Penjing introduced a totally new concept. As we begin a major educational and
publishing phase, we introduced Fuku-Daruma
& the Fuku-Bonsai Dream!
SECTION
IV: TRAINING TRUE INDOOR BONSAI. This section completes our specialty area and
produces the most email activity as Fuku-Bonsai
Study Group assists customers.
SECTION
V: THE BASICS OF BONSAI (& Section VII: More Bonsai Stories). These
two sections will be a compendium relating to the world of bonsai and an archives for my
bonsai magazine articles. Several articles each about Saburo Kato and Haruo "Papa" Kaneshiro were added
recently. The Fuku-Bonsai Collection is amongst the most innovative and most varied in the
world and there are many more stories and photos to come!
SECTION
VI: LEARNING FROM NATURE. By
photographing and sharing the lessons of the tropics, bonsai growers will be able to
better understand and create superior tropical bonsai. We're establishing the structural
basis for Tropical Bonsai as temperate climate growers discover the easier and faster
growth of tropical trees!
SECTION
VIII: THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII!
I invite you to visit us in Kurtistown and find out why the Big Island of Hawaii is
considered the last great Hawaiian Paradise! |
NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK IS VALUABLE!
In 1973, Fuku-Bonsai began publishing mail-order catalogs with original articles and these
introduced many to the art of growing True Indoor Bonsai. The comments,
recommendations, and questions were extremely helpful as we pioneered this new
field. In the 70's and 80's with our production mostly sold out on a continuing
basis, we continually culled our mailing list to recent customers in an effort to limit
distribution to only 1,500 copies annually.
The Internet allows us to dramatically increase the number of newsletter subscribers at
very little cost. It's an exciting new business vehicle and great for assisting our
customers. However, it promises to sell out our production and limit the number of
wholesale accounts that we can supply on a long-term basis. While I can't help temperate
climate outdoor bonsai growers, I can and will assist customers to successfully grow our
True Indoor Bonsai and tropical bonsai. Our older customers are comfortable with our
standards, values, and service and as we begin expansion, our challenge is to maintain
those standards.
A photo summary of the August Bonsai Day is at Restoring Peace Forest. The photo summary
of the September Bonsai Day is at Banyan
Epiphytic Bonsai. We're now training the third generation of Fuku-Bonsai masters and
we worked on the plant shown in Professional
Training Techniques on October 13. Newest photos will be posted in the coming
weeks. If you plan to visit Hawaii, please consider joining us on a Bonsai Day (on
the second Saturday of each month) which is sponsored by the non-profit IRS tax-exempt
Mid-Pacific Bonsai Foundation.
TRUE INDOOR BONSAI™ VS. TROPICAL BONSAI
Each year the relatively small number that grew only traditional Japanese temperate
climate bonsai are understanding more about Chinese penjing and many are growing Tropical
Bonsai. Unfortunately, most people still don't know the difference between Tropical
Bonsai and "Indoor Bonsai." Most Tropical Bonsai must be grown outdoors in
bright light and brought indoors for protection whenever night temperatures fall below
50°F.
Unfortunately, many bonsai sellers, through ignorance or intentionally, are perpetuating
misrepresentation and listing any and all Tropical Bonsai as "Indoor Bonsai."
It's a misleading, self-serving, and unethical practice! Very few Tropical
Bonsai can grow indoors in average home and office environments on a year around basis.
ALL TROPICAL BONSAI ARE NOT HOUSEPLANT BONSAI! To differentiate we
trademarked "True Indoor Bonsai." With education, bonsai fraud and
misrepresentation will decrease, bonsai success will increase, and there will be a larger
enjoyment of this wonderful world of bonsai!
CONCLUSION
In the midst of these dark times, we are also entering a new bonsai era with the hope that
bonsai shall be a candle for peace and a symbol of friendship. From our earliest days,
I've pursued all aspects of bonsai as a personal challenge. Fuku-Bonsai is dedicated to
creating the most successful form of bonsai for everyone. We specialize in researching and
training houseplant bonsai and ur TRUE INDOOR BONSAI™ are now the most successful
gift bonsai for anyone who can grow houseplants.
Bonsai can be impossibly complex and difficult. Our research and trials focused on
creating high-success workshops to introduce even children to a wonderful hobby that
creates a knowledge and appreciation of the beauty and wonder of nature. It teaches
discipline, compassion, and builds the ability to nurture and take responsibility. It can
lead to a gentle serene way of life even amidst a greedy and violent world. While a gift
of bonsai can allow a person to enter a world of personal peace, learning bonsai can
amplify all of the aspects and benefits of bonsai. After almost 40 years, I can
proudly recommend the PREMIUM KEIKI BONSAI WORKSHOP PACKAGE!
With the recovery of the nursery, my role will change as I devote more of my time to
moving Fuku-Bonsai toward being a product development and marketing company. I'm delighted
to now have more time to write and photograph. While I'm still am the sole webmaster and
Internet order processor, I'll one day turn over these responsibilities and focus on
research and development.
Please help me spread the word that Fuku-Bonsai is now alive and well. Fuku-Bonsai's
recovery is becoming more known and New York Times writer and photographer teams
have visited us for an article to be published on November 19. Encourage friends and
family who are interested in True Indoor Bonsai or Tropical Bonsai to become members of
our newsletter family. We're re-entering the marketplace after a ten-year absence and
continue our legal battle to collect damages from DuPont.
We were fortunate to survive and I thank our stockholders, officers and directors,
associates, and especially our loyal friends and customers for their support and
assistance. We are committed and growing for the future!
