Page 53 - BSAM 2018 Q2

In his Notes on Suiseki, Kasahara wrote “There are many ways of displaying stones, and naturally, the display
is different from one person to another. There is no need to follow one way to display stones.”
Keiji contributed much to Suiseki. Kenji, a prominent bonsai nurseryman who owned Koju-en, one of the leading bonsai nurseries in Japan at the time. They also bought and resold many stones as well. His son Keiji was adept at writing and between the two men, they wrote or edited over twenty books on Suiseki. Many of these were introductory manuals to help people learn about this hobby. This included information about collecting, cleaning, displaying, and learning how to appreciate Suiseki. Keiji also started a monthly magazine, Juseki, with the financial help of Miyasaka Takatomo. Initially, many of Miyasaka’s stones were featured in this new magazine. Juseki became the leading monthly publication for information about Japanese stone appreciation.
Another trend he observed was a movement from displaying a wide range of stone types in the 1960s towards displaying more natural landscape stones, even if they were not perfect. Members of the Nippon Suiseki Association were displaying some minerals specimens, bright colored and polished stones, and a variety of fossils. Gradually, the focus become more on natural and natural appearing landscape stones. Kasahara felt that the true appreciation of Suiseki was originally to appreciate the shape and form that nature can create. Although, he wrote “When I look at someone else’s stone, I feel it is important to understand the person’s thoughts and feelings in that stone. Then it becomes difficult to say if the stone is good or bad and to easily evaluate the stone.” Kasahara liked to cite the Japanese novelist Natsume Soseki
Top;. This Neo Valley natural saba chrysanthemum flower stone was owned by Dr. Shiraki Koichi who collected it in the 1930s. Dr Shiraki,
an ophthalmologist who is credited with popularizing chrysanthemum flower stones by presenting several to the Emperor of Japan.
Middle and inset;. Kasahara was often asked to buy and resell collections belonging to long-time stone connoisseurs. He obtained two of the historically important stones owned by the Iwasaka family who founded the Mitsubishi Corporation. This large rugged water pool stone was number 31. The stone passed from the Iwasaki family to Murata Kenji and then to Dr. Matsuyama Tomonaka. Matsuyama held it for many years until his death when his collection was sold to Kasahara.
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