Page 20 - BSAM 2015 Q1

Top; Naoki Maeoka from Japan was the second apprentice to join Kouka-en in 2010.
Middle; David Martinez from Mexico cleans trees in the winter season with a small brush.
Bottom; Keiichi explains
the work that must be accomplished with this maple.
him some of these questions which he answered in the following interview, an interview that I hope will aug- ment your viewing experience of Continuum when you show it to your club.
BCI: Not only did you film this documentary, you also are the narrator and composed some of the mu- sic. Tell me a little about your interest in film, music and music composition.
Bjorn Bjorholm: Before coming to Japan, I had played guitar in a rock band and had recorded and produced albums for a handful of other groups in the US. Af- ter starting my apprenticeship, though, I didn’t really have any free time to play, so I shifted my attention
to video production (which allowed me to combine work with bonsai and an alternative artistic outlet). I began filming, editing, and producing The Bonsai Art of Japan video series on Youtube in 2011, and it’s since expanded to include more than 50 videos, 11,000 subscribers, and 2 million views.
How did you become interested in bonsai and what led you to the traditional path of apprenticeship?
I was first exposed to bonsai at the age of 12 when I saw the Karate Kid movies, and I received my first tree for my 13th birthday. As with many people, it quickly became an all-consuming obsession and the rest is history as they say. After graduating from university, I wasn’t interested in jumping into the larger workforce, and I felt that the opportunity was ripe for undertak- ing a formal bonsai apprenticeship in Japan. Looking back on that decision, I have to say it seems a bit crazy to have made, but I couldn’t be happier that I did.
How does Keiichi Fujikawa evaluate a potential apprentice?
When I arrived in Japan in 2008, as Fujikawa-san’s first apprentice, he offered me a three-month trial pe- riod before accepting me to a full apprenticeship. This seems to be the normal procedure at most nurseries around the country, both for foreign and Japanese na- tional apprentices. Many of our current apprentices at Kouka-en went through the same type of probation process; however, most of them first came as short- term students to the Fujikawa School before becom- ing apprentices at a later date. The school has proven to be a great way for Fujikawa-san to get to know the students on a somewhat friendlier level before dis- cussing the possibility of apprenticeship. Because the apprentices work day-in and day-out in close quarters, Fujikawa-san really looks for individuals with person- alities that mesh well with his own and with the other apprentices in the nursery. Strong work ethic and an open desire to learn are also characteristics that are es- sential to a successful apprenticeship, so Fujikawa-san is always searching for individuals with these traits.
What were some of your earliest challenges when you first started your apprenticeship? Was there a separate focus on learning the language?
I would say the language barrier was perhaps the most difficult obstacle to overcome when I first arrived as an apprentice. Before beginning my apprenticeship, I had studied Japanese language at university; however, my studies were almost exclusively reading and writing based, so I had little or no experience speaking the language. After arriving at Kouka-en nursery, though, I was able to quickly pick up the necessary phrases to get by, and I’ve since developed a decent level of language proficiency. I would also say that adjusting to the work-life of an apprentice was a very difficult process. Bonsai are living objects and require daily care, which means we operate seven days per week. Time off is scarce (in most cases 2 days per month, sometimes less depending on how busy our schedule
20 | BCI | January/February/March 2015