by Lee Squires

Did you know John Naka? John Naka died on May 19, 2004; he would have been 90 years old on August 16th. John was one of the premier bonsai artists in this country and the world. He was known all over the world as an artist, landscaper and gentleman. In 1950 he and four friends started the California Bonsai Society and he served many terms as its President. John was born in Colorado and moved to Japan when he was eight years old and returned to Colorado at 21 in 1935 to farm. He moved to Los Angeles in 1946 to start a landscape business to make a living, but dug deeply into bonsai as a passion. This passion bloomed like the ubiquitous Japanese Apricot, Prunus mume, which adorns his family crest. Soon he was traveling to all parts of the continent and into foreign countries to spread his bonsai knowledge and his superb and patient teaching skills. His famous Foemina Juniper forest, Goshin, is on display in the National Arboretum’s bonsai collection. (read more about Goshin here)

I first met John in Washington D.C. at the National Arboretum on July 9, 1976 at the dedication of the National Bonsai Collection presented by the Japanese people to the United States to commemorate our Nation’s 200th Anniversary. Secretary of Agriculture, Earl L. Butz, had sent me an invitation as President of the then Louisville Area Bonsai Club. Of course, I went and stayed with my cousin who, in fact, lived three doors down from Henry and Nancy Kissinger. The Kissinger’s were at the dedication and Henry spoke during the ceremonies. All types of delicious Japanese food was served and it was at this reception that I first had sushi. Actually, I saw John and his wife Alice at the food table and spoke with him about the sushi. He explained what it was and I politely choked some down. I have grown to appreciate it. I told John that I was from “Looavul” and he said, “ha, so, where?” His and Alice’s picture is in my slide presentation of the dedication. The collection was great then and it is even better today with many American additions and a 25 year refinement to the collection. You need to see it.

I next met John at a bonsai workshop in Indianapolis on April 11, 1979. Kenny Popp, Bob Huebener and I left Louisville on a nasty, rainy night and never regretted a minute of the drive. John helped me with my Dwarf Oriental Spruce and that tree is still in my collection even though a maple limb crashed through it a couple of years ago. It still survives and resembles the tree that John and I imagined that disagreeable spring night 25 years ago. Has it been that long??? John had a creative habit of doing ink drawings of each tree before he worked on it which showed the tree after several years of growing. John drew one for me on the spot as a souvenir for the evening. I also brought along my copy of “Bonsai Techniques” that John first wrote in 1973. It was my first instructional book on bonsai. John autographed it and stamped it with his red ink buckeye seed facsimile. The buckeye seed lore is for good luck and John wished that to all workshop participants.

My next meeting with John was at our club workshop in the spring of 1991. We styled a Taxus cuspidata into a gnarly, informal upright, semi-literati. I liked it. It was a cool tree with good potential and an unusual character. John did an ink drawing of this tree too. I have both of his drawings framed and hanging in my hall. Why hide them in a drawer? John was his usual friendly, helpful, concerned for skill and a decent finished product self. He always wanted his class to be satisfied with their tree. My Taxus? An overzealous workshop master did a superb job of butchery on the tree a few years later. But, at least, I still have the drawing!

Do you know John Naka? Do you wish you had met him? I’m thankful that I had three opportunities to see him work and shake his hand. He was a treat for all bonsai growers and a true professional in all aspects of the art. He taught us all much more than bonsai techniques. Sayonara John.