Product Description

The Japanese art of bonsai is practiced worldwide, but while basic techniques have been more or less effectively taught, many of the more intriguing ones, as well as recently invented ones, have not. THE SECRET TECHNIQUES OF BONSAI remedies this oversight with the thoughtful instruction of second and third generation experts.

SECRET TEACHINGS is by the author of the groundbreaking BONSAI WITH AMERICAN TREES, one of the first books to unveil the secrets of the trade. This time, Masakuni Kawasumi II teams up with his son, Masakuni III, to offer not only the basics for creating perfect bonsai but secret techniques he has developed over years of careful work and observation. Masakuni III, the first qualified tree doctor for bonsai in Japan, adds his unique insights. Between them they offer over eighty years of experience.

The techniques are simple and intuitive, yet have been developed only after decades of practice and perfection. Detailed information is provided to start, nurture, and shape bonsai. A number of secret techniques are introduced for beginners and experienced enthusiasts alike. The father-and-son team also delves into bonsai tool usage, another area of their expertise, giving the reader a clear sense of how to use specialized tools—or how to better use the garden and workshop tools they have at home. All these make this an invaluable book for beginners and experienced enthusiasts alike.

* Growing bonsai from seedlings or cuttings
* Secret techniques and new shortcuts to better bonsai
* Techniques for shaping, pruning, training, grafting, and repotting
* Step-by-step photos
* Expert advice from Japan's first bonsai tree doctor
* Detailed advice for using numerous bonsai tools to perfect bonsai work

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45920 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 112 pages

Review
"Incorporating advice from his son, a tree doctor, the author teaches how to produce splendid specimens." -- The Washington Post

Review

"Incorporating advice from his son, a tree doctor, the author teaches how to produce splendid specimens." -The Washington Post

About the Author
MASAKUNI KAWASUMI II was born in 1923, son to Masakuni I, who pioneered the design of specialized bonsai tools. Training from a young age under his father, Masakuni II worked in the family business for decades, designing his own tools (often in partnership with the late bonsai expert, Kyuzo Murata) and cultivating bonsai on a professional level. He took over the family business in 1950. Masakuni popularized bonsai around the world through his books Introductory Bonsai and Bonsai with American Trees, and soon became a fixture in international bonsai circles. For his work in tool-making, he was awarded a Yellow Ribbon Medal by the Japanese government in 1993. In 1996, he established the Masakuni Museum of Cutting tools and Industrial Tools, in Kawaguchi, a suburb of Tokyo. Today the Masakuni brand is established worldwide.

Born in 1950, MASAKUNI KAWASUMI III grew up in his father's world of bonsai and tool-making and by his early teens had chosen to work in the same field. In his early forties, he designed and produced, with his father, a rice-harvesting sickle for the current emperor of Japan. In 1998, he won the Grand Prize for his tool-making from the Kawaguchi City Industrial Engineers and Technicians Association. In the same year, he became the country's first tree doctor to specialize in bonsai, officially recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. When his father passed away in 2002, Masakuni Took over the family business, which he runs today, while also continuing his research in the cultivation and care of bonsai

Customer Reviews

A well-organized, helpful start
In short, my opinion is that this is an excellent book if you are serious about bonsai and would like to get started, or to complement your knowledge from other books.

Before I purchased this book, I checked out several books from my local library. Some books seem to show many pictures of finished bonsai without really getting into details and I feel as if I still don't have the knowledge to even start on a bonsai. This book is a bit more helpful with step-by-step pictures from repotting to pruning, diagrams of undesirable branches, and methods of propagation.

There is a lot of information in this book that I read in this book that other books brush by, but I found helpful to me. Without a doubt, it is important to read different books because each author has their own views on certain issues.

Other books that you might want to look into are "Bonsai (101 Essential Tips)" by Harry Tomlinson and "The Bonsai Workshop" by Herb Gustafson.

Advanced
I do not recommend this book to the beginner who is just getting into Bonsai care-taking. This is more of a comprehensive book explaining how to create, shape, and nurture Bonsai trees. This book is very well written for and advanced level Bonsai owner. It goes into detail about how to start Bonsai trees, wire them, how to pick out the right environment, etc.
So if you're beginning, I think you should pass this book by at first. If, however, you have been into Bonsai trees for a while, this is the book to go with.

Fine Summary of Advanced Level Bonsai
This is a fine work on Advanced Techniques for the Bonsai enthusiast, in particular giving full particulars on specialty tools and pruning shears in Bonsai Culture. It is kind of surprising the great tips one can get, from just the one paragraph tips that the authors son added after his father death. Very concise and precise is a great summary for this book.