|
|
The TBS 40th Anniversary Series continues with a profile of Tsurukichi Kusano, first introduced in an earlier article as a member of a trio of Japanese Canadians who lived in the east end of Toronto and worked on their bonsai together. Mr. Kusano was the middle member of this trio with Kensuke Takata the eldest and Tosh Kitagawa the youngest. (See TBS Journal, April 2004 for Kensuke Takata: A Pioneer of Bonsai in Canada and TBS Journal, June 2004 for Tosh Kitagawa Bridged Generations.) Tsurukichi Kusano was born on July 1, 1904 in Kagoshima (south end of Kyushu Island), Japan. He immigrated to Vancouver in 1926 where he first worked on a farm. He then worked as a landscape gardener until the outbreak of World War II. Mr. Kusano was interned during the war from 1942 to 1948 at camps in New Denver and Tashme (B.C.) and Neys (Ontario). When the war ended in 1948, he moved to Toronto with his wife Mrs. Tsuyo Kusano and five children. Mr. Kusano immediately got a job at Dr. Ballards Dog Foods and worked there until his retirement in 1969 at the age of 65. As the middle member of the trio, Mr. Kusano was 20 years younger than Kensuke Takata and 20 years older than Tosh Kitagawa. Mr. Takata, also a landscape gardener, had practiced bonsai in B.C. before the war. Mr. Kusano joined the Toronto Bonsai Society in 1974 and remained a member until 1986. He kept every copy of the TBS newsletter, the Journal, from 1974 to 1986 carefully and neatly bound in a three-ring binder. One of his daughters, Carol Howell, pointed out that Mr. Kusano also kept detailed notes of his gardening work in both Japanese and English.
 David Young, a long time member of the TBS, fondly recalled his impressions of Mr. Kusano when David joined the club in 1976. David said that Mr. Kusano was "part of old Japan, very courteous. He didn't speak much English and would bow when people spoke with him. It was quite wonderful. A true Japanese gentleman." As a dedicated bonsai enthusiast, Mr. Kusano's love for bonsai impacted on his family. When searching for stones to appreciate on their own as suiseki or as companions when planted with bonsai, he would marshal all available family members to join the hunt. Carol told of Mr. Kusano navigating his way through some very rough drop-offs in Mexico looking for that "perfect" stone. Family searches also included mosses that had to come from up north. Furthermore, a visit to his daughter's cottage could only be for one night. He had to return home to water and attend to his bonsai.
 Carol also recalled that a neighbour who had an art background, collected trees to be styled into bonsai under Mr. Kusano's direction. Since Mr. Kusano's English was limited, their communication had to occur through the trees and working with them. When speaking of her father, Kimiko Yamada said that Mr. Kusano "always exuded inner strength and a strong sense of purpose. He started walking 10 km at 75 years of age and then progressed to jogging. He entered and completed many marathons and fund-raising events and at 82 years, Mr. Kusano won the 10 km event in the Masters Games."
 Mr. Kusano passed away on February 18, 1996. To the Kusano family's credit, for the last eight years many of the bonsai he loved so much have been cared for by his children and son-in-law Ken Yamada with encouragement from Mrs. Tsuyo Kusano. Their devotion has kept Mr. Kusano's legacy alive. The collective achievement of the Kusano family was recognized along with the late Kensuke Takata and his family and all past TBS presidents at the opening ceremony of the June 12 and 13, 2004 TBS Bonsai Show that commemorated the club's 40th anniversary.
|