Hatsuji Kato Demo

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Hatsuji Kato Demo

Styling a Picea abies 'Nidiformis'/Birds Nest Spruce at the Bonsai Society of Greater Hartford

My express thanks go to Dave Glazewski of The Bonsai Society of Greater Hartford, Connecticut for allowing me to use his text and pictures of this demo that took place at his club during Spring 2005.
Son of the reknowned bonsai master Saburo Kato, Hatsuji Kato now runs the family bonsai nursery, Mansei-en, with one of his brothers. Mr Kato has worked for his father since leaving school. Although he is a director of the Nippon Bonsai Association Cooperative, a Vice-Director of the NBA, and is a sought-after teacher for the Japanese Bonsai Society, Mr Kato still considers himself a student, developing and studying new ideas and describing new techniques. As a fourth-generation bonsai grower, he is dedicated to furthering the understanding and practice of bonsai, directing people away from the notion that it is only a rich or old person's hobby.

	The tree a Birds Nest Spruce (Picea abies 'Nidiformis') as bought to the demonstration by President of the Bonsai Society of Greater Hartford, Bob Neems.
Mr. Kato began the demonstration by clearing out the lower branches to reveal the trunkline and carefully thinning out the remaining foliage. Bob Neems later noted he was surprised at first that Mr Kato kept both trunks. When Bob had bought the tree, he thought that Mr Kato would keep only one trunk. In the background, Mr Kato's translator Timothy Sudo can be seen looking on.
	Hatsuji worked hard to find the bonsai within the tree.

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