March 16, 2005

To all Bonsai Lovers throughout the world, Just as the Olympic Games are held once every four years, this year will see the opening of the 5th World Bonsai Convention, 15 years after the first world convention was held in Japan. We express our sincere hopes that many bonsai lovers from all over the world will participate in this event.

Bonsai is an art that is growing in popularity around the world. Come and celebrate this art with other bonsai lovers -- those who have an affinity for peace and natural beauty. We look forward to meeting you at the convention.

Regards,

Saburo Kato

When Saburo Kato, John Naka, Ted Tsukiyama and others founded the World Bonsai Friendship Federation (WBFF) in 1989, they did so with the firm belief that bonsai has a special power to bring together people with open hearts and generous spirits. As Saburo Kato said in his famous "Candle of Peace" essay:

"From bonsai we receive peace of mind, health and a life’s pursuit. We can also learn generosity, patience and even philosophy about life. We can also have the good fortune to make friends of all nationalities and races with whom we share a mutual trust and respect. This is all thanks to bonsai."

Why does bonsai have this special power? As John Naka has often said, bonsai is the only living art form. As a living art, bonsai requires our devotion as well as our artistic skill. Such devotion, much more than artistic talent, opens up our hearts and bestows on the bonsai practitioner an awareness of our responsibilities to other human beings and to Mother Nature herself. The wonder we felt when first introduced to bonsai is replaced with a deeper and more constant reverence for our natural world.

We do not bring life to bonsai - it brings life to us. The painter can bring "life" to a blank canvas; the sculptor can bring "life" to a block of marble. But we do not bring life to bonsai - it is already present. By cultivating this life to the best of our abilities, we discover, in Saburo Kato’s words, "the essence and dignity of life" and thus feel more a part of our natural environment. We tread more lightly on this earth and become more gentle with all living things.

For bonsai teaches us to understand a new language - the language of nature itself. We learn to listen and to hear what nature can tell us. We begin to feel the rays of the morning sun as would a leaf on a branch; we can taste an afternoon shower as would a tree in the forest. As we share our love of bonsai with others who also wish to understand what nature is telling us, the bonds of friendship expand. As Ted Tsukiyama has observed: "Those who love bonsai find themselves drawn and bound together in a great mutual understanding, tolerance and friendship."

NABF’s mission is to support and strengthen the North American bonsai community. On this website, we will offer tributes to those masters who built the foundation of the bonsai world we enjoy today, we will highlight friendships stimulated by a love of bonsai, and we will address the education of the next generation of bonsai enthusiasts.

I hope that you will take a moment to familiarize yourself with our officers and advisors, and editorial team.

On behalf of NABF, I invite you to visit our website, e-mail us with your comments and suggestions, and help us to fulfill the ideals on which WBFF and NABF were founded.

Felix Laughlin
President