The show is part of the Nisei Week Celebration in Los Angeles Little Tokyo. Nanpukai show for me usually marks the end of the summer bonsai season. Nanpukai Bonsai Club if you even call it a club is made up of members that are master bonsai artists themselves and also teach or have bonsai students. What also makes Nanpukai show unique is that the show present the trees only. No accent plant, no scroll, no stand, just the tree. In this presentation, the tree is the only true star of the show.
When I arrived to the show early Saturday, the royal court of Nisei week was presenting Nanpukai President Mel Ikeda a Certificate of Appreciation for being a key exhibit at Nisei Week.
Old time bonsai artist Ted Iwaki got a treat of the moment when he was surrounded about these ladies. I could tell you he had the widest smile of the bunch present!
Foemina - Jim Barrett
California Oak - Al Nelson
Ficus - Manny Martinez
Chi Chi Gingko - Lucy Judd
Cedar of Lebanon - Gary Judd
Shimpaku Juniper - Glenn Jensen
Juniper - John Nielsen
Prostrata Juniper - John Van De Wouw
Shimpaku Juniper - Gary Ishii
Burt Davyii Ficus - Judy Hsiao
Olive - Kathy Benson
Willow Leaf Ficus - Michael Sykes
Cypress? - Cheryl Manning
Shimpaku Juniper - Roy Nagatoshi
Japanese Boxwood - Bob Hilvers
Shimpaku Juniper - Tak Shimazu
Japanese Black Pine - Marybel Balendonck
Japanese Black Pine - Leila Kusumi
Chinese Elm - Allen Sugimura
Juniper - Steve and Ted Iwaki
Pine - Richard Ota
Japanese Boxwood - Frank Goya
Saikai - Mel Ikeda
Silverberry - Dennis Makishima
California Oak - Lindsay Shiba
Japanese Maple - Dennis Makishima
Shohin Display - Fred Miyahara
Cedar - Ann Erb
Shohin Display - Larry Ragle
Gingko - George and Kikuyo Yamaguchi
Juniper - Shig Miya
Burt Davyii Nana - Ted Matson
Burt Davyii Nana - Ted Matson
Of course Ted Matson was at the live demonstration table asking questions about the art of bonsai during Saturday's show.
Right next to him was Bob Hilvers of the Central Valley working on a rare bonsai species of pygmy cypress.
Of course we can not end this blog story without a picture of Mel Ikeda. The person that actually help put this summer show together. It was a wonderful show with trees not only from Southern California but from as many different part of the State. Great show and I can not wait to see what next years show will look like!