CIRCLE OF SENSEI 2001

First Recipients Honored at Convention XXIV
By Sherwin Amimoto

The Circle of Sensei Award was established by the GSBF board at the 2001 Fall Board Meeting to primarily honor individuals in recognition of their teaching and promotional contributions to the art of bonsai and the cultural understanding of the art form. The award winners should show a dedication to passing on their knowledge of bonsai to others to continue the tradition and study of bonsai. The first group of individuals so honored consists of Harry Hirao, Mas Imazumi, and John Y. Naka, all respected instructors of bonsai with over 100 years of total teaching experience among them.

The award consists of a round medallion with the outline of the state of California and the GSBF logo at its center and an accompanying certificate. The wording on the certificate reads:
"The Circle of Sensei is to honor those who have honored the Bonsai world by being teachers of the art. The highest calling that a human being can attain is the passing on to future generations the knowledge and skill of those who have gone before. The award is meant for those who have exhibited in California a commitment to Bonsai and an innate skill that is universally acknowledged and appreciated."

The awards were presented on Saturday, November 3 at the banquet dinner by the GSBF president assisted by a prominent student of each award winner. Each student, also a teacher in their own right, said a few words of the difference that their instructors made in their lives, expressed gratitude for receiving their teachings, and even shared some experiences. For Harry, Mas, and John, the students were Leila Kusumi, Dennis Makishima, and Mel Ikeda, respectively.

HARRY HIRAO was taught by John Naka. He went on to found Kofu Bonsai Kai. He taught many important instructors in the Southern California area, including Mel Ikeda, Kathy Shaner, Bob Kinoshita, Larry Ragle, and Leila Kusumi to name a few. He taught at several locations besides his garage such as Komai Bonsai. But Harry is most noted for his generosity, his love of yamadori for junipers, and his demonstrations throughout the state with California Junipers, hence the nickname, "Mr. California Juniper." He is even on TV with a spot on the PBS program called "EGG: The Arts Show." He has taken hundreds to the Mojave dessert for an early breakfast followed by a search for that masterpiece or to the Eel River for that perfect suiseki. Though Harry could drive, he prefers to take turns sleeping, from the turn-on of the ignition to its turn-off when the vehicle stops. He is well rested and raring to go once the destination is reached.

Leila and Harry's many other students owe a great deal to Harry over the years with California Junipers and other bonsai knowledge. (L-R: Leila Kusumi, Harry Hirao, and Sherwin Amimoto.)

MAS IMAZUMI was taught bonsai by Homei Iseyama, one of the three early bonsai teachers in the San Francisco Bay area. He in turn taught such prominent individuals such as Jim Gremel, Dennis Makishima, and Kathy Shaner. According to Dennis, Mas was a stickler for the bonsai basics from the beginning. He did not allow shortcuts yet gave room for the more advance students for their interpretation. As a result, he was good with all levels of students. His students and friends honored him with an entry way gate at the GSBF Collection-North. He contributed articles to Golden Statements of timely bonsai tips and to Bonsai Italia as well. At times, he was an instructor at East Bay Bonsai, the Bonsai Society of San Francisco, and in the Sacramento area. While teaching primarily in the Bay area, he also lectured and demonstrated throughout California and the US, particularly in the Florida and Minnesota region, and outside the US in Italy. Mas also taught the Merritt College students the art of tree pruning and the design and construction of Japanese gardens including stone placement. He also placed the large stones in the Collection-North garden.

Dennis gave his testimonial as one of Mas's students who learned a lot from Mas over the years. (L-R: Dennis Makishima, Mas Imazumi, and Sherwin Amimoto.)

JOHN NAKA was taught bonsai by Sam Doi. John was the founder and first president of one of this state's more well known club, California Bonsai Society. But first and foremost, he is known as a teacher of bonsai, still teaching at several homes (Marybel Balendonck, Ernie Kuo, and Leila Kusumi) and lecturing at many clubs. Some of his other students include Roy Nagatoshi, Mel Ikeda, Larry Ragle, Frank Goya, Richard Ota, Shig Miya, Mas Moriguchi, and Ted Matson to name a few others. Nanpu Kai, the bonsai club consisting of John's students, is well known in California. He has an international reputation not just a national reputation and is probably the most famous bonsai teacher in the world. In fact, he was conferred by His Majesty The Emperor of Japan in 1985 with the Fifth Class of the Order of the Rising Sun. John is well known for his entertaining stories and his deep understanding of the art, science, and cultural aspects of bonsai, as well as for his books, Bonsai Techniques I and Bonsai Techniques II. He has an open mind to the design approach of bonsai and an interest even in the accent pieces accompanying bonsai. He is deeply revered by many. He is known for his Foemina forest planting series, Goshin, which he donated to the National Bonsai Collection in Washington DC and to the GSBF Collection at the Huntington. (For more on John refer to Golden Statements, vol. 22, no. 5, page 12, September/October, 1999).

Mel and other John's students owe great deal to John for his teaching. (L-R: Mel Ikeda, John Naka, and Sherwin Amimoto)