Mr. S. Nakamura Clarifies A Point On Repotting by David Johnson During the spring of 2003, the Journal ran a series of articles about my studies at Mr. Nakamura's Shonan School of Bonsai in Yokohama, Japan. I received a letter from Mr. Nakamura dated May 31, 2003 after he read the articles. In the letter, Mr. Nakamura said there was an important point which he wanted made clear. That is, after the bonsai is removed from the container, the surface soil is combed out carefully without damaging the rootage. The purpose of this procedure is to refresh the surface soil and refine the rootage. As a result, water will penetrate the soil more easily. The article in the March 2003 issue stated: 6. A root hook was used to rake out the roots from the inside out. Mr. Nakamura says it is important to remove the top layer of soil because it can prevent water from penetrating the root ball. Fertilizer and salt from watering can accumulate on top (page 9). Mr. Nakamura wanted to emphasize the care that must be taken when doing this work. He wrote the letter to help Journal readers build better bonsai. His interest is much appreciated.