The famous bonsai forest that lives in Washington, D.C.
While bonsai is a historic Japanese art form dating back centuries, early artists were likely inspired by the Chinese practice of penjing, which can be traced to the Han dynasty some 2,000 years ago. Penjing involves creating miniature potted landscapes that can include trees, rocks, water, human and animal figurines, and other features. But what sets bonsai arrangements apart is their sole focus on maintaining small trees with specific techniques for shaping that allow them to resemble much larger specimens.
Naka, who was born in Fort Lupton, Colorado, discovered the practice after he moved, at age eight, with his parents to their home country of Japan. There, his grandfather introduced him to the art of bonsai. Naka returned to Colorado in his 20s and eventually settled in Los Angeles, where he helped found the California Bonsai Society. In the decades that followed, he became known nationally and worldwide as both an artist and a teacher.
Naka described bonsai as a 'living art' when he donated Goshin to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in 1984.
US National Arboretum
Naka gave Goshin to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in 1984. Today Goshin stands out among Naka's bonsai designs because of how large its trees are—it stands nearly five feet at its tallest point—and how closely Naka was able to place them together. This is particularly difficult to do without overpruning the roots, which can cause the trees to wither and die.
'He would come every year and help the museum curators work on [Goshin],' James says about Naka's dedication to teaching the art to others. 'We're trying to preserve it how he would have.'
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