Page 19 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2015Q1

of bonsai apprentices and professionals in Japan. The is lively and supports the action well. The production Top; View of Kouka-en bonsai
documentary follows the daily activities of the Kouka- values are excellent. nursery in Osaka, Japan.
en bonsai nursery in Osaka, where Bjorn served a six- Our local club has featured a few episodes of The Bottom left; Bjorn Bjorholm,
year apprenticeship with Keiichi Fujikawa, nursery Bonsai Art of Japan in the context of a discussion, Kouka-en’s first apprentice,
during his first year in 2008.
owner, and producer of this film. presentation or workshop, so when club member Bob Photo by Chris Malcolm.
In Continuum, the subject is bonsai but the focus Shewchuk alerted us to the release of the documen- Bottom center; owner of
is on the people who cultivate them; anticipating the tary, Continuum - A Year in the Japanese Bonsai World, Kouka-en, Keiichi Fujikawa
needs of the bonsai in their care and carrying out the we ordered the DVD and screened it at a club meet- who served a five-year
work dictated by the weather and the season, to keep ing. It was a well-attended first meeting of the season apprenticeship at Mansei-en
them healthy and to improve their artistic expression. and Continuum was an inspirational start to a year Nursery in Omya Bonsai Village
under the late Saburo Kato in
The interactions between Keiichi Fujikawa and stu- of bonsai activities. The reaction was very positive, the late ’80s.
dents gives us many glimpses into the mindful and and judging by comments and discussions after the Bottom right; Keiichi’s father,
hands-on teaching process. The film’s easy-going pace show, it was a stimulating experience for many there. Minoru Fujikawa, who started
is relaxed and engaging. The discussions also prompted some questions, both Kouka-en in 1958.
Presented in four seasons: the documentary is in- bonsai-related and general interest. Bjorn was right,
structive, enlightening and punctuated with dramatic there is much interest and curiosity surrounding the
highlights, such as the “cloud of death” sequence that traditional Japanese bonsai apprenticeship and how
focuses on the well-orchestrated application of fun- it is adapting to a new generation of professionals.
gicides and pesticides, or the long hours of intense I caught up with Bjorn by e-mail while he was on a
work preceding a major exhibition. The sound track non-stop three-week tour in eastern USA and I asked

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