Harry Hirao

CC ALIFORNIAALIFORNIA A A ISEKIISEKI K K AIAI Volume 33, Issue 8 August 2015

Harry was my long time best friend. I’m sure many of you feel the same way. He was also my best man, when Nina and I were married. I met Harry in 1973 when I joined his bonsai class. Harry was the perfect teacher, calm and patient. His classes were held in his back yard. When I entered his yard for that first class I knew I was in bonsai heaven- surrounded by a forest of bonsai, mostly huge, ancient California junipers, all potted and designed to perfection. As the classes progressed I noticed changes in Harry’s yard. Month after month, big green and black rocks started showing up. Those stones really got everyone’s attention. His students were eager to do whatever Harry did. I certainly did! We asked where he found those rocks but Harry never said much. It took several years but with his a little help from his wife, Alyce, I eventually found Harry’s suiseki hunting grounds on the Eel River. That knowledge gave me the privilege of driving Harry to the Eel for the next 6 or 7 years. Harry, and his love of stones, was the inspiration for creating California Aiseki Kai in 1983. He always came to the meetings with stones from his collection as gifts for new members. He gave away more stones than many members had ever collected. Inclusiveness was a hallmark of Harry’s life. In 1977, we founded Ko Fu Bonsai Kai because Harry wanted everyone to enjoy bonsai. Membership was open to everyone and Harry welcomed everyone as if they were family. For decades, Harry took students and friends onto private property where he had permission to dig; sharing the opportunity to own beautiful, prized California Junipers. And for decades he took students and friends to his special hunting grounds on the Eel River as well. Harry’s generosity was legendary. He has donated bonsai to both the north and south GSBF Collections and the Clark Center Collection which is now the GSBF Collection in Fresno, as well as the Weyerhaeuser Collection near Seattle, the San Diego Safari Park and the Huntington Gardens. He has made countless other donations, too.

August Program On August 26th Larry will show pictures from this year’s Meihinten, the exhibition of Japanese suiseki masterpieces. No, he wasn’t there but we have the catalog so we he can share pictures from that in a larger than life format.

We have recently been given 2 stones that hold water. Both were gifts from Ralph Johnson. The first is a malachite from Ralph’s collection. The second is a stone that Harry Hirao gave Ralph in 2007. Let’s make our stone of the month one that holds water.

SAVE THE DATE: Let’s save the date for another club trip to the Yuha. Marty Hagbery is ready for us! We are planning on November 7-8. We will talk about it at the August meeting. We know that GSBF is having a day trip to the Yuha on October 28th. Sign up for that if the Nov 7-8 is not OK for you. It is $100 plus registration. See their website.: gsbf2015.com

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Stone of the Month

Above: 4.5w x 2.5h x 4d Below: 11w x 3h x 6d

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Sarah Gyer and Hanne Povlsen are doing well. Sadly, Harry Hirao is (was) quite frail. Ralph Johnson is downsizing! Aiseki Kai will be receiving nearly all of his non malachite collection! Members will have an opportunity to purchase stones from his amazing collection. Stay tuned. We welcomed guest Jim Barry and new member, Paul Harris. The 1 inch w

ide inner margins are designed for use w

ith a 3 hole punch.

VOLUME 33, ISSUE 8 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI

STONE OF THE MONTH: (viewing stones in unusual, non-traditional settings) Sizes are in inches, width x height x depth

We apologize for the odd black line in some photos. Larry’s (new!) camera is being repaired. We are always delighted when we have the chance to share pictures of stones from our long distance members and Rick Klauber of Seattle is one of those. Thank you, Rick!

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July Meeting Notes

Rick Klauber, "Breaching Whale", 7.25"W X 6.5"H X 2.5"D Rick Klauber, "Hokusai Kanagawa Wave Boat", 16.5" X 4.75" X 3.75"

Phil Chang 8 x 3.5 x 5 Linda Gill 3 x 3 x 1

Jim Greaves 6.5 x 7 x 4 (overall) Jesse Krong 8 x 9 x 7

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Juneu Kim began his talk by commenting on one year of a Japanese magazine, The Aiseki Monthly (2014). While he reads the pictographs that are the same in Japanese and Chinese (but not the Japanese syllables, he studied the articles with a friend who went to school in Japan. His remarks are guided by his lifetime study of suiseki. He believes that stones should not be cut and does not think Chinese Scholar’s Stones are suiseki.

January – He noted that Larry and Nina wrote an article in English in each month’s magazines. He noted the historical name changes of the study of stones – suibonseki, bonseki, bonzan, suiseki, and ganshoseki. All these terms have been used at some time. February – In the seki do or ishi do (the way of stone), do refers to the religious or historical connotations due to the influence of the Confucian scholars. Meditation was emphasized during this time. Hayashi Razan (1583–1687) was a Korean scholar. Hozanomitsu built a house during the Edo period to house an academy which later became Tokyo University. Only 12 stones from that time exist today. March – This issue contained a listing of all the suiseki clubs in Japan, with the name of the president, the address and phone number, and the number of members. There were 46 clubs with 3 to 25 members for a total of 950 ‘stone lovers’. April – The focus was collecting sea-shore stones (isogata-ishi or umiseki). These are, and were in the past, considered viewing stones not suiseki. They are very popular now and are often displayed with suiseki. The Nippon Suiseki Exhibition in Tokyo was reviewed. The drapes were purple in reference to the Meiji custom of the use of purple by the literati for their suiban and tea cups. The San Francisco Suiseki Kai show was also reviewed. Juneu noted that the members were white and Asian and some stones were cut with the base hidden in the sand of a suiban. May – This month contained a classification of Ganshoseki (viewing stones). The 8 categories are: 1) mountain, 2) grotesque, 3) flat & figure, 4) rare, 5) abstract, 6) pattern, 7) color, and 8) I forgot. The term ‘grotesque’ does not mean ugly in this usage. Juneu feels that these categories exist to sell stones since all the better suiseki are gone. The California Aiseki Kai show was also reviewed. Juneu did not feel there were many suiseki and that the San Francisco show stones were more Japanese. The reasons were 1) we have more desert

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stones/fewer collecting sites and 2) that the leadership of our club has not kept us in strict suiseki traditions. June – no comments July – It discussed the proposal of the Nippon Suiseki Association to register the suiseki culture as a world cultural item. August – Reviewed the seki-do during classical times. This is when stone collecting came to Korea. There were no patterned stones in the Japanese tradition then. Juneu felt that this style arose in the late ‘70s with stone from the Han River. Juneu says that traditional suiseki is like Harvard or Yale while viewing stone collecting may be fun, it’s like UC Davis or U. of Wisconsin. He feels that all stones collected after the ‘70s are inferior. September – the 28th All Japan Aiseki Stone Exhibition was reviewed. October – A display of mountain stones some of which were in deep suiban to prevent the cutting of the stones. November – no comments December – Had a typical classification of gan-shoseki on page 22. It was printed so small that Juneu could not decipher the characters. While it had no mention of cutting the stones, it did allow oiling and polishing the stones. It reviewed the 35 stones of the1st Ganshoseki Show. Juneu felt it had no good suiseki.

Juneu commented on the book he published – Viewing Stones: A Korean Classical Concept . He said that the most highly prized/classical stones in suseok were small mountain stones that reflected their element of water. The stones were displayed with water or displayed the factors associated with water. While Korean Buddhist monks collected stones for their meditational qualities, the Confucian aristocrats were more concerned with geomancy. Of the 100 stones in his book, 45 are mountain shaped or mountain shaped pattern stones; 16 display the 3 friends of winter or symbols of the 4 seasons. He did not collect stones for meditation. He has found his life of stones to be lonely and solitary. He has collected “Juneu Stones” since he uses the most classical tradition of collecting and not emotional connection. He has found this gratifying and extremely satisfactory. He hopes to build a traditional Korean garden in Irvine, CA

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July Program Notes by Linda Gill

Applied Surface Coatings: The smooth, continuous surface of a well-worn hard stone reflects and diffuses less of the light hitting its surface, thus appearing to have a richer, more saturated color; conversely, a rough textured stone diffuses more light and its color appears to be washed-out. Wetting a stone surface whether with water or other substance darkens the stones surface and enriches color by filling the pores, cracks, and microscopic irregularities, thus reducing reflection and diffusion. The whole dynamic of surface coating technology, especially those regarding the refractive indices of coatings, may be used to help explain how water, soaps, waxes, oils or resins can change the appearance of a stone in remarkable ways. To properly cover this topic would require another tome. For the present we might note that the “ideal” surface coating for a given stone would be the one that best serves to reduce the reflection and refractive scattering of light from the stone’s surface and allows the greatest return transmission of color at the air-stone interface. Just as artists found that they could maximize the richness of their paints by coating with a layer of varnish, stone collectors have developed coating techniques to enhance their stones. Today, many stone collectors are anti-waxing but pro-oiling; others would accept oiling but are aghast at the idea of varnishing. In truth, the difference between applying an oil or wax, or oil or varnish may be only one of semantics. Let us review some of the common and a few less well-known surface treatments.

Animal Oils and Fats: For the sake of completeness we again note that body oils from hand, nose, and hair have long been the natural coating of choice. These are complex mixes of oils, fats and organic acids. By extension, one can judiciously use animal fats to ‘augment’ your own production of patina inducing substances. One might safely experiment with lard, perhaps butter, or bacon fat … not liking my stones to smell of hickory smoke I favor salt pork. I have long felt that perhaps the best approach may be to simply pass around your stones at your barbecue or while eating a bowl of popcorn. With tongue planted firmly in GuyJim’s cheek, dare one

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consider that the proper selection of oil might offer a new dimension to stone appreciation, the olfactory ... say, sardine or anchovy oil on your favorite coastal rock or a nice oil of lavender on a flower stone!

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Dear Readers, Following upon the recent discussions of wetting and surface effects, this month we are continuing the promised overview regarding treatment of stone surfaces in the form of an updated version of Revealing the Beauty Within published in Waiting To Be Discovered, Summer, 1998. (This is part 2):

Ask GuyJim

Drying Oils: Drying oils, particularly forms of linseed oil, are being applied by some collectors. A traditional oil finish was often rubbed into the surface of paintings in the 19th century to impart a very soft, rich luster. If the oil was of lower quality or too heavily applied it often, over time, became distinctly yellow or brown. Similarly, I have encountered stones collected in the 1970’s which appear to have been coated with a drying oil (estimated to be a linseed oil) which twenty years later had significantly discolored: areas of white quartz had taken on a distinctly yellowed tone and even deep blacks had developed an unpleasant brownish-yellow tinge. Coatings of hardened drying oils can be extremely difficult to dissolve and remove. There are no partial solutions for correcting excessive discoloration. Ironically, it was necessary to completely strip back these stones to their found state with the subsequent loss of any patina built-up in twenty years

Vegetable Oils: Oils of all types are the surface enhancing substances most often applied to stones. Oils are categorized as nondrying or drying oils. Many vegetable oils and the motor oil favored by some mineral collectors will never completely dry; drying oils, such as the familiar linseed oil used in oil paints, oxidize to form hard, even impervious films. Olive oil has often been applied to viewing stones. It is known as a partial drying oil and applied thinly with sufficient drying time it might serve as a base for building a natural patina. But one should be aware that it could eventually harden into a dark film that may prove impossible to remove from pores in the stone. (In my profession as an art conservator we once spent months trying to remove a 20-30 year old olive oil coating from an Egyptian limestone sculpture – with only 80% success.) Other common vegetable oils might also be used on a temporary basis, but many may never dry sufficiently to develop a satisfactory surface.

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of legitimate handling. The original collector’s desire to impart instant ‘age’ thus backfired and we had to begin again with stones that were among the first suiseki collected in North America. (It is sobering to realize that the stones you are collecting now will also one day be considered historic.) The use of linseed oil might prove less problematic on a stone with a warm red or yellow tone, or a natural green stone, but even then the eventual result may be an unnatural bilious green rather than a natural cool green tone. If an oil is desired I would avoid most forms of linseed oil and select a refined nut oil. High-grade poppy seed oil or walnut oil may be available in artist supply stores or health food stores. These will eventually dry hard and will discolor to a lesser degree. The Japanese are currently promoting camellia oil. It is now available at conventions and through stores that sell Japanese tools. It comes highly diluted making it useful for wetting of short duration, but many applications are required for even a temporary ‘lasting’ effect. Petroleum Oils and Waxes: The application of baby oil (mineral oil) is another accepted method for wetting a viewing stone. As of this writing I have been unable to ascertain to what degree it will dry to form a film. Many waxes such as paraffin or the microcrystalline waxes are related petroleum byproducts. They are manufactured in a continuous range of hardness from liquid (very low melting point) through “rock” hard (very high melting point). Both mineral oil and microcrystalline waxes are very pure and unlikely to discolor, however, they will absorb grime. Depending upon methods of application, comparable effects may be obtained with various petroleum products, whether oils or waxes. I have even heard tales of Vaseline (petroleum jelly) being slathered onto stones that were then baked for weeks or months in the sun and eventually brushed to create a desired surface. The harder waxes are applied by creating a dilute paste made with aromatic hydrocarbons such as mineral spirits or naphtha. (Conversely, these petroleum products are all easily removed from the surfaces of most stone by using the same solvents.) The commercially available Renaissance microcrystalline wax polish was formulated at the British Museum for use on marble as well as other surfaces. Note: Commercial wax preparations such as Minwax or Briwax have sometimes been applied to stones, also paste waxes (furniture, automobile, and floor waxes) may offer possibilities for experimentation and, indeed, specialty polishes exist specifically for natural stone, but one must caution to be aware of ingredients, especially

possibly abrasive additives. On the negative side I suspect that these petroleum products will always leave an unstable barrier between the stone and the permanent deposition of a more complex handling patina; also, they may have an artificial feel and often have disagreeable odors that never seems to completely dissipate. Natural Waxes: Natural waxes have historically been used to improve the finish of stones. Several examples in the Worlds Within Worlds exhibition had been originally treated with wax, including some Chinese stones dated to the 10th century that had applications of dark colored waxes hiding white flaws in the black stones. One often finds flaws in recently created Taihu rocks being filled with wax pastes. As is done in the restoration of stone sculpture, very hard waxes may be used as an acceptable, reversible material to fill irritating minor flaws on otherwise good stones. The Japanese use Ibotaro, a wax made from the secretion of an insect that infests the ibota plant, a type of privet. (It is classed as a vegetable or tree wax to distinguish it from bee's wax.) Natural waxes such as beeswax or carnauba are complex chemical mixtures containing saturated hydrocarbons, higher acids and alcohols, and esters of higher fatty acids and alcohols; they can be used to create a very durable finish. Hard waxes have considerable body so it is important to avoid a heavy build-up that fills and actually modifies the surface contours and textures of the stone. These waxes are best applied with heat, or in solution with mineral spirits or turpentine. Very thin applications of natural wax might serve as a reliable foundation for the development of a permanent patina. Special Situations: Waxes Versus Oils: The refractive indices of various oils and waxes differ. While all surface coatings will tend to darken and enrich a stone surface, occasionally the application of an oil will cause an unexpected darkening, loss of color or dullness of surface relative to the appearance of the same stone when wet with water. This might be over-come by building up a thicker coating of oil, but that could lead to an obviously artificial look. Wax may have other drawbacks, but experience has shown that it sometimes better mimics the superior wetting action of water, especially on smooth surfaced, brightly colored jaspers. Lacquers, Varnishes, Etc.: A few collectors have used natural gum fixatives, lacquers, or various varnishes to heighten the color of

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stones. The usual result is a too obvious, unpleasantly thick and/or glossy coating. With practice, some of these materials, if properly applied (for instance by the minimal spraying of a dilute, matte picture varnish) could be used to enhance color and closely approximate the effect of water or an oil coating. Varnishes based on natural resins such as dammar may discolor considerably, so one should be sure to select a high-grade synthetic resin varnish. I must confess that the idea of varnishing a stone is anathema to me, perhaps because I used such materials daily in the restoration of paintings, but more probably because it seems one step too far removed both in context of the “naturalness” of the materials and methods of application. There may be a fine technical line between some oils and varnishes, but to me the essential act of applying an oil by hand, rubbing it in, and buffing off the excess is far more in keeping with stone appreciation than spraying or brushing on a product.

Temporary coatings: As an alternative to applying an oil or wax, some practitioners advocate the application of liquid soap or detergent to wet the surface of a stone to enhance it for temporary display purposes. This technique is useful if you wish to enrich the surface for display on a daiza or one for use in a dry suiban as might be required in a museum environment where a display with water would be forbidden, but one might want to retain the ability to wash off the coating so that the stone can also subsequently be shown in a suiban with water. However, ultimately, any saturation with detergent is counter-productive because it will always serve as a barrier to foil the creation of a true, natural patina from handling. With each resetting of the stone any natural hand oils that may have accumulated will be washed away from the stone surface. Again, the process of creating an effect for the present will forever preclude the formation of a true handling patina. While the use of soap is unlikely to adversely affect the natural geological patina of most stone, it may damage or remove any biological patina. Glycerin has also been suggested for temporary use as it can be removed by sufficient washing. Any of the oils or fats may be applied temporarily, but are more difficult to remove, especially if not done within a short time frame.

Questionable Coatings: One may object to any of the practices we have discussed herein, but a few treatments employed by market suppliers may be more egregious: We have mentioned that heavy applications of coatings such as motor oil and Vaseline followed by prolonged drying,

baking and brushing have been used to significantly alter surface patina and also sometimes color. Another specious manipulation of the surface is the Japanese practice of slowly rubbing graphite onto/into the surface of stones to darken and/or develop a lustrous patina. Similarly, but a bit less invasive, rubbing with talc that has a greasy quality has been used to impart a subtle sheen.

General Guidelines: 1. Decide whether the stone is to be displayed on a daiza or in a suiban. Remember that you do not want to overly handle or apply any permanent surface coating to a stone that is to be displayed in a suiban in the presence of water. If you intend to use a stone both on a daiza and in a suiban (such as to follow seasonal practice), you will have to decide whether the usage within the suiban will include water or not. If you will want to wet the stone, then any coating applied to enhance the stone for daiza display must be completely reversible/removable, such as detergent or glycerin. 2. Decide whether you want the coating to be temporary and easily removable or a “permanent” base upon which to build a secondary handling patina. For a temporary finish you might experiment with detergent, glycerin or mineral oil. 3. Avoid heavy application of any surface coating that creates a readily discernible artificial look such as very high gloss or a “plastic” appearance or retains a sense of wetness or stickiness to the touch. 4. Any application of a surface coating (drying oil wax or fat) that is to serve as a base to create a lasting patina should be minimal. Oils should be of the best quality available to reduce discoloration. 5. The basic approach to the application of coatings is found in last month’s GuyJim, Vol.33, Issue 7, p.6.

Summary: The treatment of a stone surface is one of the most arbitrary aspects of stone appreciation; even the decision to do nothing and accept the “natural” stone is inherently a subjective act. The first question to answer is do we want to even consider treating stones beyond wetting and handling to improve their appearance. The purists’ answer may be “no”, but much of historical precedent and our current desire to quickly display examples of our passion suggest that for most collectors the answer will be “yes”. In fact, there has always been a continuum from naturalness through artifice to art. The questions then become what factors should we consider, what materials do we use, and how do we apply them. What is to become normatively acceptable

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within our evolving North American and perhaps, the wide, non-Asian international viewing stone world? Now is the proper time to discuss stone surface enhancement in order to establish desirable parameters early in the development of our philosophy of stone appreciation. Whatever approach or material any one of us uses will reflect a cultural selectivity as well as a technical decision. My preference is for an approach that will provide an immediately acceptable appearance yet still allow for the slow, accumulative process of developing additional secondary patina from handling, thus, over time, further enhancing the natural/geological patina with additional patina derived from the process of stone appreciation itself. Personally and

probably because of my hard-to-define desire for some continuity with tradition, beyond nose oil, I recommend experimenting with one of the relatively “natural” vegetable oils mentioned or fat: remember the barbecue! Please send GuyJim any of your thoughts or further ideas for cleaning and ‘enhancing’ the surfaces of stones.

GuyJim The views expressed in this column are personal, perhaps irreverent, irrelevant or just plain wrong and do not reflect the consensual view of California Aiseki Kai. Send your viewing stone questions (or comments) for GuyJim to jimreaves@roadrunner.com or 1018 Pacific Street, Unit D, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or call (310) 452-3680

Richard Turner 7 x 2.5 x 3. Richard explained that his stone can be situated in various positions on these painting fragments. The stone is a Mojave desert stone. The bases are fragments of a Chinese landscape painting laminated onto painted masonite. He purchased the (already) heavily damaged painting in Taipei Taiwan in 1964. The ink tones and the flowing forms in the painting correspond to the patterns in the stone such that the stone almost appears to be a three dimensional extension of the painting itself.

Stone of the Month continued from page 2

Jim Barry created these silk paintings at our show: Jim Greaves’ “Acropolis”, Peter Bloomer’s “1000 Cranes” and Harry Hirao’s Murphys stone.

Jim explained that silk paintings are somewhere between batik and wet on wet watercolor... or maybe wet on wet watercolor with resist and dyes that dry more slowly and need to be steam fixed before more layers of color are added.

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Buzz Barry 8 x 2.75 x 5

Bruce McGinnis 9 x 5 x 5 Both sides are attractive. Bruce went with a non-traditional stone vs a non traditional setting.

Jack Levy 16 x 10 x 10 (check out the car floor mat jiita!) Linda Gill 2 x 7 x 1

Richard Turner 8 x 4 x 5

Richard’s 3rd display option (from page 7)

Richard shows off his display (at right)

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Harry Hirao was affectionately called “Mr. California Juniper”. He earned this title by collecting raw material and creating an incredible number of masterpiece California juniper bonsai. He was the co-founder of Ko Fu Bonsai Kai and served as a board member of GSBF and CBS. He was a past president of Nanpu Kai. In 1981 Harry was honored by Prince Takamatsu of Japan with an award of the “Ryoku Hakiju Yukosho” medal and the Japanese Agricultural Society with a plaque for his contributions to the art of bonsai in the United States. In 2001 Harry received the “Circle of Sensei Award” from GSBF and later a Harry Hirao Annual Scholarship Fund was also established. The Harry Hirao Reception Room at the Naka Pavilion at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC was made possible by the generosity of many of Harry’s friends and students. Harry donated bonsai and suiseki. Indeed, his was the first American suiseki, donated to the National Collection even before there was a collection.

gnarly ancient pines, fighting their way into secluded ponds along the high streams of the Rockies. But they searched only for trout. Although their sharp eyes peered into the crystal clear surface, neither recognized that nature was painting their future in the reflections on the glittering water. Working and fishing was Harry’s life for a number of years. When he met Chiyo (Alyce) his life changed dramatically. They married on September 25th, 1941. Less than three months later the war began in the Pacific but the Governor of Colorado refused to intern any American citizen and Harry and Alyce were spared the indignity of incarceration. In 1959 Harry moved his family to Huntington Beach and started a new business, landscaping and gardening. For the next few years the Hirao’s were kept busy with their growing family, Ron, Gene, Ilene and Janis…. And their growing business leaving Harry time for only one hobby, fishing, a passion he shared with his sons. By the early 1960’s Harry began to notice that some of his fishing buddies seemed to have less and less time for fishing. In particular one friend, John Naka, who had moved from Colorado to Los Angeles in 1946, seemed to have no time for their favorite pastime. Curious, Harry investigated and found that John had a new hobby, bonsai. On a visit to John’s house, Harry saw bonsai, not for the first time, but he saw it in a different context. He was excited by what had once seemed a distant art form from the culture he had experienced only temporarily. More importantly, this visit had opened his subconscious interest in bonsai. The key was John Naka, his long time friend. A short time later John invited Harry to go with him on a trip to the Mojave Desert. John had been told that there were some very old and stunted trees growing along the mountain ridges. Neither realized at the time just how significant that moment was when they spotted their first ancient California juniper. Neither did the trees. Many of them would soon leave their harsh isolated environment where their beauty went unnoticed to become the focal point of prized bonsai collections. Two forms of life, man and plant, had become one and that bond would change the lives of Harry and John and ultimately, bring pleasure to thousands of people. Negotiating with the property owner, Mr. Hansen, was a simple matter. An annual fee was agreed upon and a permit to dig was issued. The process

Harry Hirao 1917~2015

When one walked through Harry’s backyard it was easy to recognize that he was born to be a bonsai man. Surprisingly, his interest in bonsai came relatively late in his life. The opportunities to become involved with bonsai came early but the key to unlock his passion and eventual endless commitment to the creative art was undiscovered. Harry was born in 1917 in Lafayette, Colorado. By the time he was four years old his family moved to Japan where Harry would be educated in the traditional Japanese manner. He travelled to the family farm in Fukuoka, the southern most major island of Japan. He spent the next twelve years living the charmed life of a student. If the intense educational process lacked anything, life on the farm provided everything else that he needed to mature. The culture of Japan offered many diversions for a young man. Although surrounded by Japanese art, including bonsai, as he made his way around Japan, this dormant interest lay hidden in his subconscious. In 1933 at the age of 16, Harry returned to Colorado where he worked on the Mayeda family farm. He soon took up with another man with a similar background, John Naka. These two adventurers, when work was done, headed for the mountains. Both remembered climbing over beautifully sculpted stones, while pulling on the branches of oddly twisted and

* * *

~Larry Ragle

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began. Almost as rewarding as finding the trees in the first place was discovering that they were amazingly forgiving. The trees took little time to overcome the shock of transplanting and showed scarce resentment to the rigors of Harry’s plans for their future; the pruning, trimming and wiring. In a few years one could see the change in the junipers, from scrubby neglected clumps to magnificent masterpieces. It would not be unusual to imagine that the location of these beauties would be kept a solemn secret. If you located a diamond mine, would you invite all your friends over to dig up what they could find for themselves? Harry and John didn’t see it that way. They invited their friends and ultimately their students, to dig along side them and share in their treasure. If you asked anyone who knew Harry to describe his personality, they would always mention his generosity first. But there was something missing from Harry’s life. After only a few years of total commitment to bonsai, Harry started to cheat on his trees, just a little at first. It started out as a simple trip to the Kern River but it eventually became an obsession. Harry was in love with stones. Suiseki became a major part of Harry’s life. While on a trip to Northern California, Harry and Alyce came upon a river bed full of beautiful stones, many of them possessing the qualities of suiseki. Since that time in the mid 1970’s there has been a significant shift in the center of mass for the state of California which now tilts slightly to the south. Harry was as generous with his stones as he was with his trees; in fact, if his students couldn’t find and dig their own tree or stone, Harry was quick to give them one. Harry continued to make field trips to the rivers and deserts, inviting friends and students, until just a couple of years before his passing. We have received a number of emails from people wanting to share a story about how Harry touched their life. The fact that we all have “Harry stories” speaks to how much he was loved - and what an exceptional man he was.

Harry had four fulfilling lives: family, friends, bonsai and suiseki. This impossibly genuine man, loved by all who met him, left us with our fondest memories. We will all miss him.

He donated the first American viewing stone to the National Collection before there was a collection! And another since. Harry donated 2 master piece bonsai to the National Collection and has donated 3 stones in memory of Alyce. They are displayed in the main bonsai pavilion within the National Arboretum in Washington DC.

When the Naka North American Pavilion first opened, one of Harry’s California Junipers was on display in the Harry Hirao Reception Room. Harry was an honorary member of the Board of Directors of the National Bonsai Foundation. With Marybel Balendonck’s help, Harry made many trips to Washington, for their annual board meetings. Harry was a favorite where ever he was and his charm captivated every one. Harry was generous, genuine, inclusive, humble, social, strong and loving. He was a best friend to many. After every convention, demo, meeting, or gathering of any kind, Harry would always ask “How many?” He was a social guy and the turn-out mattered to him. At least 300 people attended his memorial service. He would have loved that! Harry always used to say, “Don’t make no difference”. But…. Harry, you made a big difference. We miss you Harry.

Harry Hirao continued from page 1

At Harry’s memorial service on August 4th, Reverend Harada gave Harry his kaimyo or Dharma name, Shaku Koju, which means “Tree of Light”. We believe this is a truly appropriate name.

~Larry and Nina Ragle

Programs: Larry Ragle 949.497.5626 crimescene@cox.net Treasury/Membership: Nina Ragle 949.497.5626 ragle@cox.net Annual Exhibit: Jim Greaves 310.452.3680 jimgreaves@roadrunner.com Exhibit Set Up: Marge Blasingame 626.579.0420 margeblasingame@att.net Refreshments: Janet Shimizu 310-645-7208 janet.shimizu46@gmail.com Beverages: Phil Hogan 626-256-4603 pkhinkalif@gmail.com Historian: Ray Yeager 760.365.7897 ryeager890@aol.com Webmail: Chris Cochrane 804-918-4636 sashaichris@gmail.com

August Contributors: Linda Gill, Jim Greaves and Larry Ragle. Mailing: Flash Partch Editor: Nina Ragle

Contact People

PAGE 11 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI VOLUME 33, ISSUE 8

Newsletter Committee

We hope you will participate. Please send any submissions to ragle@cox.net no more than 10 days following our monthly meeting. Thank you!

California Aiseki Kai meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Nakaoka Community Center located at 1670 W. 162nd St, Gardena, CA. Second floor. We do not meet in Nov-Dec.

Harry’s Hands 1917-2015

Photo by Barbara Cone Milazzo at the GSBF Convention in Modesto, 2008.

Ragle P.O. Box 4975 Laguna Beach CA 92652

Coming Events

Leaves no stone unturned

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

aisekikai.com

Thank you Kyra Haussler, Emma Janza (for the homemade apple pie!) Jack Levy, Linda Gill, Mika Breyfogle, Janet Shimizu and the Ragles for the July jubilations. Fantastic! August appetite appeasers will be provided by Linda Gill, Jesse Krong and Rebecca Fletcher.

Stone Sales Ken McLeod 209-605-9386 or 209 586-2881

suisekistones.com

Always check Golden Statements Magazine Calendar section for additional coming events

Freeman Wang 626-524-5021 Suiseki-Viewing Stone Sale

stores.ebay.com/thestoneking

Refreshments

NANPU KAI Annual Nisei Week Bonsai Exhibit, Aug 22-23 JACCC, 244 South San Pedro St., LA. 10-5.

REDWOOD EMPIRE BONSAI SOCIETY 32nd Annual show, August 22-23, Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Bldg, 1351 Maple Ave., Santa Rosa. Demos both days at 1:00 by Kathy Shaner. Sat 10-5, Sun 10-4. Sales, raffle, silent auction. More info: Bob Shimon at 707.884.4126 or shimon@mcn.org

KOFU BONSAI KAI Bonsai exhibit at the Bowers Museum, Sept 23-27, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana.

GSBF CONVENTION 38 “Bonsai Fusion” October 29 – November 1 Riverside Convention Center, 3637 Fifth St., Riverside, CA. Viewing stone hunt, exhibit, and critique. Bonsai demos and workshops. Seminars and raffles and vendors galore! GSBF2015.com for more information.

SAN DIEGO BONSAI CLUB 50th Annual Fall Show, Sept 26-27, Balboa Park, Casa Del Prado, Rm 101, San Diego. 10-5. Demos each day at 11 and 1. Sales area. Info: sandiegobonsaiclub.com