A new bonsai group will be putting on workshops and exhibits that will be guided in part by an internationally acclaimed bonsai expert from Japan. Kenji Miyata, an award-winning bonsai expert who has held workshops on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui and
A new bonsai group will be putting on workshops and exhibits that will be guided in part by an internationally acclaimed bonsai expert from Japan.
Kenji Miyata, an award-winning bonsai expert who has held workshops on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui and the Big Island, is expected to serve as a senior sensei and advisor to the recently formed Kauai Bonyu Kai.
The organization, the island’s newest bonsai study group, consists of only seven members at this time, spokesman Lance Kit Laney said in a statement.
Miyata, who hails from Toyohashi, Japan, has been sought out to put on workshops by bonsai experts worldwide because he is considered a classic Japanese bonsai traditionalist.
He uses centuries-old techniques that stress balance and symmetry.
His masterpieces have been made with cedar and pine trees, all miniaturized.
“His willingness to share his knowledge with us has resulted in the improvement of our personal collections,” Laney said.
Laney said Miyata’s style became the rallying point behind the formation of the new group.
Miyata gave the group its name, which translated, means “Club Enjoying Bonsai,” Laney said, adding the name fits the group “perfectly.” Offering his expertise to the group as well will be Kaua‘i bonsai expert Abraham Machado. He is locally born and raised, and has produced works that have been admired by all who have seen them, Laney said.
Bonsai is the art of growing dwarf trees and shrubs, and shaping them to fit into shallow pots through pruning and controlled fertilization.
Laney said members of the Kauai Bonyu Kai are interested in furthering the knowledge of bonsai, adding, “we are committed to improving our bonsai in a positive and nurturing manner.” Laney said the new group will hold monthly study sessions that will move from one house to another, and that critiques will be provided in a “positive environment.” Styling and bonsai care tips are to be exchanged, and bonsai experts from out of town who come to Kaua‘i will be invited to hold workshops at gatherings of the new club, Laney said.
The new group recently hosted a gathering of 15 bonsai experts from California, Laney said. The interaction “is our way of thanking them for their hospitality shown to us when we visited California,” Laney said.
The new group also will regularly hold “group digs” to gather quality materials for bonsai creations, Laney said.
The group proposes to stage a series of quality bonsai exhibits as well, Laney said. “We already have a commitment from a great venue, and we are working on more,” he said.
Membership in the group is by invitation only.
Organizations interested in working with the Kauai Bonyu Kai to put on “high-quality” bonsai exhibits are asked to contact Laney at 826-9228. The Kauai Bonsai Club is the other bonsai club on the island.
