Most of us know about the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing by The United States on August 6,1945 that killed scores of Japanese.
However,there is a certain tree that survived this deadly blast which killed about 66,000 people in Hiroshima at that time.
The Yamakis owned a nursery less than two miles
away from where the bombs were dropped. According to the
museum , the ancient plant was behind a wall and
just far enough away, which is why it survived the
explosion along with the Yamakis inside the
adjacent house.
“I find it amazing that Masaru Yamaki could give a
priceless bonsai basically to his enemy and not say
a word about it,” said Felix Laughlin, president of
the National Bonsai Foundation (part of the U.S.
National Arboretum), speaking to the Washington
Post. “I get emotional just talking about it.”
In 2001, Masaru’s grandchildren, Shigeru and his
brother, Akira, later provided more information
about the tree for museum officials, all from tales
passed down through the family.
Bonsai trees require a phenomenal amount of care
and attention to ensure their longevity. Daily
watering, inspection for any pesky insects, rotating
the plant for the sun twice a week and occasional
repotting may seem like an arduous task for the
casual gardener. However, this is a labor of love
for the current curator of the Bonsai and Penjing
Museum, Jack Sustic , who remarks , “One of the
things that makes it so special is, if you imagine,
somebody has attended to that tree every day
since 1625. I always like to say bonsai is like a
verb. It’s not a noun; it’s doing.”
To protect the tree during the winter, it’s moved
to the climate-controlled section of the museum,
the Chinese Pavilion.
Outliving its life expectancy, this bonsai tree is
definitely hardy and, museum officials say, it will be
moved to the Japanese Pavilion in 2016 to honor
its imminent 40th anniversary at the museum's
gardens.
Source;Washington post.
Posted by nwajei edgar
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