Lineage of Passion with Harold Sasaki

About this episode

The episode features Harold Sasaki, a pioneer in North American bonsai culture, discussing his impact and contributions to the art of bonsai.

Kindness. Humility. Generosity. These are words anyone discussing Harold Sasaki would use to describe this gentle giant of a man. But those of us who have been personally impacted by Harold know there is a tenacity to our teacher, a hunger for knowledge, a curiosity for what’s possible, and a glean of motivation in his eye that propelled him to be one of the greatest trailblazers and pioneers of bonsai culture in North American bonsai over the past fifty years. Through his facility, Colorado Bonsai Limited, Harold Sasaki, or Hal as friends call him, has been teaching bonsai to curious and passionate practitioners and inspiring the next generation of bonsai artists and professionals for over four decades. Harold was one of a handful of instructors in the Rocky Mountain region who introduced yamadori into American bonsai culture and was the leading authority on ethical yamadori collection. When the rest of our budding bonsai culture was looking for material in nurseries, Harold was embracing the wild forms of rugged trees from the Rockies and taking people on safari to share the passion and technique of sustainable collecting practices. Harold’s contributions go beyond pioneering…

People in this episode

Guest: Harold Sasaki

Topics covered

• bonsai culture
• yamadori
• sustainable collecting
• mentorship
• artistic inspiration

Keywords

• bonsai
• Harold Sasaki
• yamadori
• mentorship
• sustainable practices
• North American bonsai
• artistic inspiration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Colorado Bonsai Limited

Places: Rocky Mountain region, North America

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