Kokufu Bonsai Ten Shows, Part I

Kokufu Bonsai Ten, Part I

("National Bonsai Exhibition")

Koku Fu Bon Sai Ten

This Page Last Updated: February 6, 2013

Overview

The Shows by Year

Some Photos

Observations

Some Albums

Notes

SHOWS BY YEAR

The following was compiled to provide an easy and definitive listing of which show took place in what year and vice-versa.
Several sources were studied and compared for this info. The show dates from 1934 through 1983 are per Valavanis' study
of the NBA's 50th Anniversary book and later works.

A brief summary: Eighty-six actual shows to date (There was no No. 19).
Two shows (Mar-Apr and Nov-Dec) in each of these ten years: 1934-1937, 1939-1942, 1948, and 1954.
No shows in these four years: 1944-1946 and 1959.
One show in Nov-Dec in 1938 and 1947; one show in March 1943; one show in December in 1949-1953, 1955-1958.
One show every year in February since 1960.
The record for attendance goes to grandmaster Saburō Katō (1915-2008) who, it is believed,
was the only person to attend every one of the first 80 Kokufu Ten (there was not a No. 19)
which had been held up to the time of his death (on the eve of the 82nd show).

Year	Show	Notes	Year	Show	Notes	Year	Show	Notes
1934	1st, 2nd	March 17-20; Album size: 15 x 22 cm, 96 pp.; Dec. 5-10; 15 x 22 cm, 96 pp.	1962	36th	Feb. 15-19; 18 x 25 cm, 162 pp.	1990	64th	Feb. ? ; 26 x 25 cm, 231 pp.
1935	3rd, 4th	March 7-12; 15 x 22 cm Nov. 24-28 15 x 22 cm	1963	37th	Feb. 15-19	1991	65th	Feb. 9-16; 26 x 25 cm, 262 pp.
1936	5th, 6th	Apr. 5-8; 15 x 22 cm, 98 pp.; Nov. 29 - Dec. 4 15 x 22 cm, 98 pp.	1964	38th	Feb. ? ; 18 x 25 cm	1992	66th	Feb. ? ; 262 pp.
1937	7th, 8th	Mar. 21-25; 15 x 22 cm, 98 pp.; Nov. 27-30 15 x 22 cm, 98 pp.	1965	39th	Feb. 15-20; 181 bonsai and 24 suiseki displayed	1993	67th	Feb. ? ; 26 x 25 cm, 262 pp.
1938	9th	Nov. 27 - Dec. 1 15 x 22 cm, 98 pp.	1966	40th	Feb. 15-20	1994	68th	Feb. 10-17; 26 x 25 cm, 262 pp.; 248 selected entries (40% of those applying)
1939	10th, 11th	March 10-12; 15 x 22 cm, 96 pp.; Nov. 26-29 15 x 22 cm, 96 pp.	1967	41st	Feb. 15-20	1995	69th	Feb. ? ; 26 x 25 cm, 260 pp.
1940	12th, 13th	March 15-18; Dec. 1-3; 19 x 26 cm, 98 pp.	1968	42nd	Feb. 15-20; 19 x 26 cm, 211 pp.; 203 selected entries	1996	70th	Feb. 8-16; Double album (WNV) 26 x 25 cm, 492 pp.
1941	14th, 15th	March 14-15; Nov. 27-30	1969	43rd	Feb. 15-21; 19 x 27 cm, 203 pp.; 203 selected entries	1997	71st	Feb. ? ; 26 x 25 cm, 262 pp.
1942	16th, 17th	? Nov. 7-8; No album published	1970	44th	Feb. 14-21; 19 x 26 cm, 210 pp.; 202 selected entries	1998	72nd	Feb. ? ; 26 x 25 cm, 270 pp.
1943	18th	March 19-21; No album published	1971	45th	Feb. 15-21 26 x 19 cm., 209 pp.; 201 selected entries	1999	73rd	Feb. ? ; 26 x 25 cm, 279 pp.
1944	19th	March 19-21, but cancelled because exhibition halls were being used for war planning -- never held (DrE)	1972	46th	Feb. 16-22; 26 x 19 cm, 200 pp. Color pictures were introduced in the commemorative albums (WNV)	2000	74th	Feb. ? ; 26 x 25 cm, 279 pp. 265 trees, each with a companion plant.
1945	none	---	1973	47th	Feb. 15-21; 26 x 19 cm, 196 pp.	2001	75th	Feb. ? ; 26 x 25 cm, 279 pp.
1946	none	---	1974	48th	Feb. 15-21; 26 x 19 cm, 215 pp.; 200 selected entries.	2002	76th	Feb. 9-16; 25.5 x 24.0 cm, 281 pp.
1947	20th	Nov. 29 - Dec. 3; 18 x 25 cm, 128 pp.	1975	49th	Feb. 14-22; 26 x 19 cm, 190 pp.	2003	77th	Feb. ? ; 26 x 25 cm, 281 pp.
1948	21st, 22nd	March 19-21; 19 x 26 cm, 87 pp. Dec. 1-4; 19 x 26 cm, 87 pp.	1976	50th	Feb. 5-13; 26 x 25 cm, 204 pp.	2004	78th	Feb. 8-15; 26 x 25 cm, 281 pp.
1949	23rd	Dec. 1-4	1977	51st	Feb. 4-11; 26 x 25 cm, 229 pp.	2005	79th	Feb. 9-16; 26 x 25 cm, 281 pp.
1950	24th	Dec. 7-10	1978	52nd	Feb. 4-11; 26 x 25 cm, 228 pp.; 215 selected entries out of 400 applications (54%)	2006	80th	Feb. 9-12, 14-17; Double album, 26 x 25 cm, 507 pp., 500 photos 470 trees
1951	25th	Dec. 6-10	1979	53rd	Feb. 4-11; 26 x 25 cm, 228 pp.	2007	81st	Feb. 9-16; 26 x 25 cm, 286 pp.; 265 selected entries out of 445 applications (60%): 83 conifers, 93 deciduous, 76 medium-sized, 14 shohin compositions;
1952	26th	Dec. 10-14	1980	54th	Feb. 5-11; 26 x 25 cm, 231 pp.	2008	82nd	Feb. 9-16; 26 x 25 cm, 285 pp.; 265 selected entries out of 414 applications (64%): 102 conifers, 89 deciduous, 63 medium-sized, 11 shohin compositions
1953	27th	Dec. 11-16	1981	55th	Feb. 5-11; 26 x 25 cm, 231 pp.	2009	83rd	Feb. 8-15; 26 x 25 cm, 285 pp.
1954	28th 29th	? Dec. 11-15; 15 x 21 cm, 113 pp.	1982	56th	Feb. 6-13; 26 x 25 cm, 231 pp.	2010	84th	Feb. 9-17 (Holiday on 15th); 26 x 25 cm, 235 pp.; 265 selected entries out of 389 applications (68%), + 4 special exhibits
1955	30th	Dec. 10-14	1983	57th	Feb. 6-13; 26 x 25 cm, 235 pp.	2011	85th	Feb. 13-20; 245 selected entries out of 346 applications (70.8%), + 8 special displays; only 9 shohin compositions (48 pcs) this year; 2 suiseki used as accents; 2 very large forests displayed alone w/o accessories
1956	31st	Dec. 11-16; 18 x 25 cm	1984	58th	Feb. 4-14; 26 x 25 cm, 232 pp.	2012	86th	Feb. 3-10 252 selected entries including 7 shohin bonsai compositions (6 box stands and one half box stand); 130 narrow-leaf evergreens; 118 bonsai wired, 12 unwired; 73 medium-sized bonsai, and 7 large bonsai which did not have any accessories.
1957	32nd	Dec. 13-18	1985	59th	Feb. ? ; 26 x 25 cm, 235 pp.	2013	87th	Feb. 5-12 204 displays including only 6 shohin compositions. Also there were 70 Kicho Bonsai (Important Bonsai Masterpieces).
1958	33rd	Dec. 13-18	1986	60th	Feb. ? ; 26 x 25 cm, 231 pp. Double album (WNV)	2014
1959	none	due to planned change-over in exhibition dates	1987	61st	Feb. 8-15; 26 x 25 cm, 231 pp.	2015
1960	34th	Feb. 13-17	1988	62nd	Feb. ? ; 25.5 x 24.0 cm, 231 pp.	2016
1961	35th	Feb. 15-19; 18 x 25 cm, 175 pp.	1989	63rd	Feb. ? ; 26 x 24.5 cm, 229 pp.	2017

Back to Top

Overview

The Shows by Year

Some Photos

Observations

Some Albums

Notes

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