News for NBF contributors and friends of The National Bonsai BULLETIN Foundation Summer 1999 Volume X, Number 1 BONSAI/SUISEKI DIPLOMACY It was a diplomatic first for an Washington this past May, must Penjing Museum, Carl Swenson of American President to give a bonsai have been amused by the idea of Baltimore, Maryland made a beau- and a viewing stone to a Japanese making a return gift in kind. Dr. tiful wooden box for Jim’s Eel River Prime Minister. In an official cere- Tom Elias, Director of the U.S. Na- stone, to which the White Horse at- mony at the Blair House on May 2, tional Arboretum, with support tached the Presidential Seal. Ernie’s 1999, President Clinton presented from Dan Glickman, Secretary of juniper was crated up in California Prime Minister Obuchi with a Cal- the Department of Agriculture, and shipped to the National Ar- ifornia juniper bonsai and an proposed that President Clinton boretum. Tom Elias and Jack Sustic, American “Shore stone”.The Prime present Prime Minister Obuchi Assistant Curator of Bonsai at the Minister was reportedly so taken with an American bonsai and view- Museum, then took the stone and with his gifts that he personally car- ing stone. Once this suggestion was the juniper to the Blair House ried them with him to his bedroom accepted by the White House, Jim where they were presented to the in the Blair House when he retired Hayes and Ernie Kuo, both Direc- Prime Minister and then displayed for the evening. tors of the National Bonsai Foun- there. m The California juniper had been dation, offered to make available to Following the opening cere- trained by Ernie Kuo, who had President Clinton a masterpiece monies on the South Lawn of the purchased it from Sam Ugeno suiseki and a masterpiece bonsai, White House to welcome Prime who had collected it in the respectively. Minister Obuchi, President Clinton Tehachapi Mountains in Kern The behind-the-scenes activity and the Prime Minster went into County, California. then moved into high gear. Work- the Blue Room to inspect four bon- m The stone had been collected by ing with Warren Hill, Curator of Jim Hayes in California’s Eel Bonsai at the National Bonsai and (Continued on page 2) River in October 1998. It was one of the finest stones that Jim had ever found, and he had named it “Way of Eternal Peace.” You will recall that last Novem- ber when President Clinton visited Tokyo, Prime Minister Obuchi had given him two bonsai and a Tiger stone. (See the article “New Gifts from Japan” in the Winter 1998 issue of the NBF Bulletin.) The stone is on exhibit at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, and the two trees will be displayed once they come out of quarantine. The Prime Minister’s gesture raised the visibility of these two related art forms to a head-of-state level. President Clinton, in preparing for Prime Minister Obuchi’s visit to Prime Minister Obuchi and Mr. Kato with California Juniper. 2 President’s Letter The efforts of suiseki gifts to Mr. Obuchi will NBF and the be revealed by Dr. Tom Elias in U.S. National an article to be published soon in BOARD OF DIRECTORS Arboretum to Bonsai Magazine. HONORARY MEMBERS educate the Mr. Kato’s lecture at the U.S. John Y. Naka public about National Arboretum on “The Hon. Orville G. Bentley H. Marc Cathey bonsai got a major boost during Heart of Bonsai” is summarized John L. Creech the last year. As the article begin- on page 5. This was an inspira- Saburo Kato (Japan) Barbara Hall Marshall ning on page 1 explains, we tional talk, and we plan to make Mary E. Mrose Mrs. Harry J. Van De Kamp could not ask for greater public- available a video of the talk Dr.Yee-sun Wu (Hong Kong) ity for bonsai than the round of and the demonstration by Mr. George Y.Yamaguchi bonsai and suiseki gifts between Hiroshi Takeyama and Mr. Jiro PRESIDENT EMERITUS President Clinton and Japanese Fukuda that followed it. Frederic L. Ballard, PA Prime Minister Obuchi. NBF’s I know you will enjoy reading OFFICERS Directors, Jim Hayes and Ernie Cheryl Manning’s account (on Marion Gyllenswan, NY Chair Kuo, donated to President Clin- page 4) of John Naka’s recent Felix B. Laughlin, DC ton the suiseki and bonsai that visit to the Museum. It mentions President Marybel Balendonck, CA he in turn gave to Mr. Obuchi. Bonnie Kobert’s excellent bust of Vice President Chris C. Cochrane, VA We have Mr. Saburo Kato to John which the Foundation is Secretary thank for bringing bonsai to this having cast in bronze and which Chris J.Yeapanis, VA Treasurer lofty level of visibility. As Chair- will be placed just inside the en- man of the Nippon Bonsai Asso- trance to the John Y. Naka North MEMBERS Bruce Baker, MI ciation and Mr. Obuchi’s bonsai American Pavillion. Vaughn L. Banting, LA teacher, Mr. Kato is doing won- As this issue of the Bulletin in- Jack E. Billet, DE Doris W. Froning, PA ders for the world of bonsai. dicates, much is happening at David Garvin, MD James J. Hayes, PA More behind-the-scenes de- your Museum. We hope you will Roland Hofmeister, MN tails on Mr. Clinton’s bonsai and visit soon and often. C. F. Kwok, VA Janet E. Lanman, MD Bonny Martin, TN Mary Ann E. Orlando, DC Larry Ragle, CA F. Chase Rosade, PA BONSAI/SUISEKI DIPLOMACY cinated to watch these back-and- Thomas Scott, TN Helen C. Souder, FL (Continued from page 1) forth gifts between President Clin- Jerald P. Stowell, NJ ton and Prime Minster Obuchi. Edward Trout, FL Ted T.Tsukiyama, HI sai. Two of them were the trees that Hopefully these gifts will spark a Melba L. Tucker, CA new interest on this side of the Pa- William N. Valavanis, NY the Prime Minister had presented Jack W. Wells, DC to President Clinton in November cific in these two ancient art forms. EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS 1998. The other two were from the President Museum’s North American Collec- American Bonsai Society President tion. Mr. Saburo Kato, Chairman Bonsai Clubs International President of the Nippon Bonsai Association, Potomac Bonsai Association accompanied the President and Prime Minister. Mr. Kato is the ADVISORS Thomas S. Elias Prime Minister’s bonsai teacher. Director, U.S. National Arboretum Warren Hill Those of us interested in bonsai Curator of Bonsai, U.S. National Arboretum and suiseki were delighted and fas- Eel River Viewing Stone Jack Sustic Assistant Curator of Bonsai, U.S. National Arboretum Bonsai Associations of Michigan Bonsai Societies of Florida Golden State Bonsai Federation Check Out NBF’s New Website: Hawaii Bonsai Association Lone Star Bonsai Association Mid-America Bonsai Alliance www.bonsai-nbf.org Mid-Atlantic Bonsai Societies Puget Sound Bonsai Association 3 Japanese Bonsai Collection Strengthened by Dr. Tom Elias The National Bonsai and Penjing at least a year before it can be re- the Nippon Bonsai Association. At Museum received seven new bonsai leased for display. that time, it was agreed that a gift of plants this spring in honor of The five smaller shohin bonsai several new bonsai would be a suit- Japanese Prime Minister Obuchi’s varied in age from 15 to 50 years of able way to commemorate Prime official state visit to Washington, age. They consist of a Trident maple Minister Obuchi’s planned visit D.C., May 2–4, 1999. This gift con- (Acer buergerianum), Japanese with President Clinton. This latest sisted of two large specimens, a maple (Acer palmatum), Japanese gift adds greater depth and breath holly (Ilex serrata) and a Japanese five-needle pine (Pinus parvifolia), to the Japanese Collection at the maple (Acer palmatum), and five zelkova (Zelkova serrata), and a National Bonsai and Penjing Mus- smaller plants. The holly is an 80- Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinen- eum. This Collection is the finest year old forest-style planting and sis). The pine, juniper, and zelkova display of Japanese bonsai in North was selected for showing in the an- are all currently on display in the America. nual Kokufu Bonsai exhibition held Japanese Pavilion; the two maples in Tokyo in February. This is the will have to join the larger maple in oldest and most prestigious of all quarantine facilities for many bonsai exhibitions worldwide. This months. We look forward to the specimen is now on display in the time when we can bring these Japanese Collection in the Mu- maples out from quarantine status seum. The 60-year old Japanese and place them on public display in maple with its leaves turning a bril- the Museum. liant yellow and red in the autumn The genesis of the gift came from will be in quarantine at an APHIS meetings in Tokyo in February (Animal and Plant Health Quaran- when Elizabeth Ley and I met with tine Service) facility in Beltsville for Mr. Saburo Kato and members of Holly Forest Photography Project: The first phase of this project— ing stones. These postcards will be First Step Completed shooting the Museum’s viewing available for purchase at the U.S. stones—has been completed. Ear- National Arboretum. The next step Last year, the Foundation and the lier this year, Jim Hayes and Joe will be to develop a book on the U.S. National Arboretum began Mullan photographed the almost viewing stones, which Jim estimates work on a joint project to take new 60 stones in the Museum’s collec- will have 50–60 pages and be avail- photographs of the bonsai, penjing tion.