Kokufu Bonsai Ten, Part II

("National Bonsai Exhibition")

Kokufu ten calligraphy
Koku       Fu          Bon        Sai       Ten


Compiled by Robert J. Baran, with William N. Valavanis



This Page Last Updated: February 17, 2024




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:
Ninety-seven actual shows to date (there was not a 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., 96 trees /
Dec. 5-10;
15 x 22 cm, 96 pp.
1971
45th
Feb. 15-21
19 x 26.5 cm, 200 pp.;
201 selected entries
2008
82nd
Feb. 9-16;
26 x 25.5 cm, 285 pp.;
265 selected entries out of 414 applications (64%): 102 conifers, 89 deciduous, 63 medium-sized, 11 shohin compositions
1935
3rd /

4th

March 7-12;
15 x 22 cm /
Nov. 24-28;
15 x 22 cm.
1972
46th
Feb. 16-22;
26 x 19 cm, 200 pp., now horizontal format and
color pictures were introduced in the commemorative albums (WNV)
2009 83rd Feb. 8-15;
26 x 25.5 cm, 285 pp.
1936 5th /

6th

Apr. 5-8;
15 x 22 cm, 98 pp. /
Nov. 29 - Dec. 4;
15 x 22 cm, 98 pp.
1973
47th
Feb. 15-21;
26 x 19 cm, 196 pp.
2010
84th Feb. 9-17
(Holiday on 15th);
26 x 25.5 cm, 235 pp.;
265 selected entries out of 389 applications (68%), + 4 special exhibits
1937 7th /

8th

Mar. 21-25;
15 x 22 cm, 98 pp. /
Nov. 27-30;
15 x 22 cm, 98 pp.
1974
48th
Feb. 15-21;
26 x 19 cm, 215 pp.;
200 selected entries.
2011 85th Feb. 13-20;
26 x 25.5 cm, 270 pp.;
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
1938
9th Nov. 27 - Dec. 1;
15 x 22 cm, 98 pp.
1975
49th
Feb. 14-22;
26 x 19 cm, 190 pp.
2012 86th Feb. 3-10
26 x 25.5 cm, 232 pp.;
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.
1939 10th /

11th

March 10-12;
15 x 22 cm, 96 pp. /
Nov. 26-29;
15 x 22 cm, 96 pp.
1976
50th
Feb. 5-13;
26 x 25.5 cm, 204 pp.
2013 87th Feb. 5-12
26 x 25.5 cm, 235 pp.;
204 displays including only 6 shohin compositions. Also there were 70 kicho (Important Bonsai Masterpieces).
1940
12th /

13th

March 15-18;
96 pp. /

Dec. 1-3;
19 x 26 cm, 96 pp.
1977
51st
Feb. 4-11;
26 x 25.5 cm, 229 pp.
2014 88th Feb. 4-12;
26 x 25.5 cm, 360 pp.;
Although not a tenth year anniversary year, show was in two parts: Part 1, 170 displays, including 29 kicho and 5 shohin; Part 2, 170 displays, 26 kicho and 5 shohin
1941 14th /

15th
March 14-15 /

Nov. 27-30
1978
52nd
Feb. 4-11;
26 x 25.5 cm, 228 pp.;
215 selected entries out of 400 applications (54%)
2015 89th
Feb. 5-8, 10-13; \
26 x 25.5 cm, 229 pp.;
Part I, 181 displays with perhaps 250 individual bonsai, only 5 shohin displays, six bonsai displayed by non-Japanese, 3 of those by Americans.
1942 16th /


17th
Mar. 5-7;
25 x 18 cm, 117 pp. /
Nov. 7-8;
No album published ?
1979
53rd
Feb. 4-11;
26 x 25.5 cm, 228 pp.
2016 90th Feb. 5-8, 10-13; Parts I and II each had 181 displays; In Part 2 there were only four shohin compositions which each had more than five specimens.
1943
18th
March 19-21;
No album published
1980
54th
Feb. 5-11;
26 x 25.5 cm, 231 pp.
2017 91st Feb. 4-8, 10-13; Parts I and II each had 179 displays, with 5 and 6 shohin compositions, 24 and 10 kicho, and 6 and 5 Kokufu Prizes, respectively.
1944
19th
March 19-21, but cancelled because exhibition halls were being used for war planning -- never held (DrE)
1981
55th
Feb. 5-11;
26 x 25.5 cm, 231 pp.
2018 92nd Feb. 8-11, 13-16 ; Parts I and II had 179 and 161 individual bonsai displays, 18 and 19 kicho, and 5 and 4 Kokufu Prizes, respectively.
1945
none ---
1982
56th
Feb. 6-13;
26 x 25.5 cm, 231 pp.
2019 93rd Feb. 9-12, 14-17 ; Parts I and II each had 151 individual bonsai displays, 19 kicho, and 3 and 5 Kokufu Prizes, respectively.
1946
none ---
1983
57th
Feb. 6-13;
26 x 25.5 cm, 235 pp.
2020 94th Feb. 8-11, 13-16 ; Parts I and II each had 151 individual bonsai displays, 12 and 19 kicho, and 4 and 4 Kokufu Prizes, respectively.
1947
20th
Nov. 29 - Dec. 3;
25 x 18 cm, 128 pp.
1984
58th
Feb. 4-14;
26 x 25.5 cm, 232 pp.
2021 95th Feb. 8-11, 13-17; 278 pp.; Parts I amd II each had 131 individual bonsai displays, 9 and 8 kicho, and 3 and 3 Kokufu Prizes, respectively.
1948
21st /

22nd

March 19-21;
26 x 19 cm, 87 pp. /
Dec. 1-4;
26 x 19 cm, 87 pp.
1985
59th
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 235 pp.
2022 96th Feb. 8-11, 13-16; 320 pp.
1949
23rd Dec. 1-4 1986
60th
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 231 pp.
Double album
(WNV)
2023 97th Feb. 9-12, 15-18 ; Parts I and II each had 140 individual bonsai displays, 95 and 90 large bonsai, 35 (70 pcs) and 27 (54 pcs) chuhin (medium), 8 and 8 shohin (52 and 52 pcs), 13 and 12 kicho, 2 and 2 special exhibits for approximately 189 and 212 total displayed bonsai, with 3 and 3 Kokufu Prizes, respectively.
1950
24th Dec. 7-10 1987
61st
Feb. 8-15;
26 x 25.5 cm, 231 pp.
2024 98th Feb. 9-12, 14-17, Parts I and II each had 146 display areas, 111 and 110 large bonsai, 32 (64 pcs) and 27 (54 pcs) chuhin (medium), 10 shohin (55 and 30 pcs), 10 and 6 kicho, 2 and 2 special exhibits for approximately 230 and 205 total displayed bonsai, with 3 and 3 Kokufu Prizes, respectively.
1951
25th Dec. 6-10 1988
62nd
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 231 pp.
2025

1952
26th Dec. 10-14 1989
63rd
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 229 pp.
2026 (100)
1953
27th Dec. 11-16 1990
64th
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 231 pp.
2027

1954
28th /

29th

? /

Dec. 11-15;
25 x 18 cm, 113 pp.
1991
65th
Feb. 9-16;
26 x 25.5 cm, 262 pp.
2028

1955
30th Dec. 10-14;
25 x 18 cm
1992
66th
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 262 pp.
2029

1956
31st Dec. 11-16;
25 x 18 cm
1993
67th
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 262 pp.
2030

1957
32nd Dec. 13-18 1994
68th
Feb. 10-17;
26 x 25.5 cm, 262 pp.;
248 selected entries (40% of those applying)
2031

1958
33rd Dec. 13-18;
25 x 18 cm
1995
69th
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 260 pp.
2032

1959
none due to planned change-over in exhibition dates
1996
70th
Feb. 8-16;
Double album
(WNV)
26 x 25.5 cm, 492 pp.
2033

1960
34th
Feb. 13-17 1997
71st
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 262 pp.
2034

1961
35th
Feb. 15-19;
19.5 x 26.5 cm, 175 pp.
1998
72nd
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 270 pp.
2035

1962
36th
Feb. 15-19;
19.5 x 26.5 cm, 169 pp.
1999
73rd
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 279 pp.
2036

1963
37th;
19.5 x 26.5 cm, 180 pp.
Feb. 15-19 2000
74th
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 279 pp.;
265 trees, each with a companion plant.
2037

1964
38th
Feb. ? ;
19.5 x 26.5 cm, 175 pp.
2001
75th
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 279 pp.
2038

1965
39th
Feb. 15-20;
19.5 x 26.5 cm, 181 pp.;
181 bonsai and 24 suiseki displayed
2002
76th
Feb. 9-16;
26 x 25.5 cm, 281 pp.
2039

1966
40th
Feb. 15-20;
19.5 x 26.5cm, 205 pp.
2003
77th
Feb. ? ;
26 x 25.5 cm, 281 pp.
2040

1967
41st
Feb. 15-20;
19.5 x 26.5cm, 205 pp.
2004
78th
Feb. 8-15;
26 x 25.5 cm, 281 pp.
2041

1968
42nd
Feb. 15-20;
19.5 x 26.5 cm, 205 pp.;
203 selected entries
2005
79th
Feb. 9-16;
26 x 25.5 cm, 281 pp.
2042

1969
43rd
Feb. 15-21;
19.5 x 26.5 cm, 175 pp.;
203 selected entries
2006
80th
Feb. 9-12, 14-17;
Double album,
26 x 25.5 cm, 507 pp.;
500 photos, 470 trees
2043

1970
44th

Feb. 14-21;
19.5 x 26.5 cm, 203 pp.;
202 selected entries
2007
81st
Feb. 9-16;
26 x 25.5 cm, 286 pp.;
265 selected entries out of 445 applications (60%): 83 conifers, 93 deciduous, 76 medium-sized, 14 shohin compositions;
2044


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Overview
The Shows by Year
Some Photos
Observations
Some Albums
Notes

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